The AMR23 has been born well, but the key is in evolution.
Aston Martin F1 is being the surprise at the start of the 2023 Formula 1 season. The AMR23 driven by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, created under the orders of Dan Fallows, was the second best car on the grid at the Bahrain GP last two weeks and there he showed that, during the winter, he reduced 2.4 seconds of difference with respect to the best team.
During the next race on the 2023 calendar, this weekend’s Saudi Arabian GP, the British team will have to confirm that it adapts well to different types of circuits, since Jeddah is a very different track from Bahrain. But whatever the outcome, Aston Martin has high hopes for the evolution of the car.
In fact, the AMR23 that was on the podium in Bahrain with Fernando Alonso and with which Lance Stroll finished sixth despite his injury, is just the base of the car that will finish the season. The British team has an ambitious evolution plan underway during this course, with the aim of staying ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes, and getting as close as possible to Red Bull.
The main advantage of Alonso’s team is that, having finished seventh in the Constructors’ World Championship last season, it has more development time in the wind tunnel than its direct rivals. For example, he has 37% more time than Red Bull, 25% more than Ferrari and 20% more than Mercedes.
Thanks to this, as published by Auto Motor und Sport, Aston Martin plans to introduce small improvements race by race, but above all it is expected that in Imola (Italy), there will be a major update.
Alonso himself was very optimistic in Bahrain regarding the development of the AMR23, even more than with the results achieved in the first round of the season, where he was surprised with the podium finish.
The good rhythm of the British team has caused some criticism among rival teams, such as Red Bull. The adviser to the energy drink team practically accused Aston Martin of plagiarism, going so far as to say that there were actually three Red Bulls on the podium in Bahrain, in clear reference to the fact that the car was created under the direction of a former employee of yours
On the other hand, Toto Wolff, director of the Mercedes team, has recognized the good work carried out by Aston Martin, a team that, in Wolff’s words, “uses half of our car, including the engine, gearbox and suspension rear. They’ve found two seconds in six months. You have to admit they’ve done a great job.”
Surprisingly, the Aston Martin F1 team is currently second in the Constructors’ World Championship – 20 behind Red Bull – and Fernando Alonso is in third position.
