Dan Fallows' exit as Aston Martin's technical director stems from the team's lackluster performance, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.
Fallows, who joined the Silverstone-based team in 2022 after a highly successful stint at Red Bull, oversaw a green car that initially performed well in early 2023. However, development stalled later in the season, and in 2024 Fernando Alonso now claims Aston Martin has one of the grid's slowest cars.
"He (Fallows) had a lot of influence on the car, and it looked like a rocket at the beginning of the season," Schumacher explained to formel1.de.
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve echoed similar sentiments in an interview with Grosvenor Sport. "It is no surprise that Dan Fallows is leaving Aston Martin if you look at the development of that car," he said. "It just gets worse and worse."
Fallows will transition to a non-F1 role within the Aston Martin group, with some linking his departure to Adrian Newey's upcoming involvement with the team starting next year.
"The difference between Adrian Newey and many others is his ability to solve problems," Schumacher said. "Newey seems incredible at that, while Fallows didn't succeed. Fallows left Red Bull to claim this better role, but I can imagine that it was not a good fit between him and Aston Martin. And now Adrian is arriving."
While Schumacher is uncertain whether Newey directly influenced the decision, he admitted: "I don't know what happened, but I will ask Adrian when I see him next."
Villeneuve, however, believes Newey's arrival signals a new chapter for Aston Martin. "Newey will start making decisions now," Villeneuve said. "Lawrence Stroll is putting a lot of money into the project, and he wants results and perfection, which is what Formula 1 is all about."
Reflecting on the sport's high standards and Fallows' demise, Villeneuve added: "If you're not good enough, you're pushed aside. It used to happen much faster than it does now. People stay in Formula 1 much longer now - it's like a private club."
