Aston Martin pulled back the Union Jack covers on the AMR23, the car that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will hope to push Aston Martin up the grid in 2023.
The 2022 season was a disappointment for the Aston Martin team. The historic brand only managed to secure eighth in the constructors championship at the final race of the season. The 2023 campaign should be a much more competitive season for the Aston Martin brand.
With the addition of Fernando Alonso, who replaced the retired Sebastian Vettel and a new car, this will hopefully be the beginnings of the Aston Martin climb up the grid.
The Fernando Effect
Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso sent the internet into meltdown when the Spaniard confirmed he had signed for Aston Martin from 2023.
The two time World Driver Champion is one of the best drivers in Formula 1, his innate ability to drive any car and qualify and finish races in positions that the car had no right being in will be a welcome addition to the team, however this comes at a price, he is a tough person to work with, it is known within the Formula 1 world that he demands very high standards and is not afraid to voice his opinion, sometimes in public.
“I have always said that I could see the ambition that shines bright at AMF1. And, as we launch the car in this brand-new factory, I think everyone can now see the scale of the ambition and determination at the heart of this organisation. Just as important is the car – and the AMR23 looks incredibly neatly packaged and highly efficient. I was pleasantly surprised when I sampled last year’s car for the very first time, and I think there is plenty of performance we can unlock together. I can’t wait to get started.
Fernando Alonso on Aston Martin and the AMR23
If Aston Martin can provide Alonso with a car that is competitive and showing improvement over the season then all that will be voiced in public is compliments.
Is Lance Stroll the Weak Link?
A big question for Aston Martin and their quest for Championships is Lance Stroll, the son of the team’s owner who has been in Formula 1 for a number of years. The young Canadian driver started his F1 career at Williams, with the drive being funded by his father.
When Lawrence Stroll headed a consortium to take over Force India, Lance Stroll would follow to the newly purchased team.
Looking at AMR23, I can see lots of new thinking and some aggressive work around the packaging and aerodynamics that should really help us out as we head into year two of these new rules. I’m massively looking forward to working with Fernando. I’ve always got along very well with him – and it will be fantastic to race alongside him.
Lance Stroll on the AMR23 and working with AlonsoThere is no question that Lance Stroll deserves to be in Formula 1, however he is not Championship winning material, he is a good and solid midfield driver, although he can have moments of madness alongside some impressive moments.
Unless Stroll shows a marked improvement soon questions will be asked if he his holding the team back from their ultimate goal.
AMR23 and 2023
The 2022 season was disappointing for Aston Martin, the team made an error with the design philosophy, this led to a radical change in direction midway through the season, by that point they were locked in an underwhelming battle with Alpha Tauri for eighth position. Another season like this will not be acceptable to the team and their demanding owner.
The new AMR23 has some interesting details around the sidepods, gone is the square looking sidepods and in its place is a Redbull/Ferrari inspired design.
The AMR23 sidepods have taken majority of inspiration from the Redbull concept, however they have added a deep gully to the top of the sidepod which is designed to containing the airflow spillage from the radiators, when they cant flow the amount of air going through the system. The deep gully design was seen on the Ferrari and also the Alpine car later in the season.
As with all teams, Aston Martin have hidden details around the AMR23, including the floor, which will be an area that will have a more dedicated development, due to regulation changes brought in for 2023.
Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso have a lot to prove with the AMR23. Can the team build a car that can fight consistently in the midfield and will Fernando Alonso buck the trend of poor career choices?
This year’s move into our new state-of-the-art factory is more than just a serious statement of intent: it will considerably strengthen and empower every single individual in this organisation, helping us to deliver on our ambition to narrow the gap to the front of the grid and, in time, become genuine championship frontrunners. In the past year, we have demonstrated the determination and belief needed to move forward and we have constructed a brand-new car to match our vision and ambition. Across our partner portfolio, I want to offer my best wishes to Ravi Kumar, who has just been appointed CEO at Cognizant, a company with whom we share an inspired vision. To the team at Aramco, who have shown incredible faith in this organisation, and to all our partners, I extend my thanks for joining us on this unique journey. The talk today is of new energy – and, believe me, it feels like a fresh start and an incredibly promising and ambitious way to begin the new season.
Lawrence Stroll, AMF1 Executive Chairman