Aston Martin are the name of the Formula 1 World Cup in this 2023. This is the name of the team that has improved the most. of what happened, some months, suffer to overcome the Q1 of practically all Grands Prix to see how, in the test test, Fernando Alonso took the podium in Bahrain. Yes, the typical miracle that is hard to believe in this sport… but what they did en Silverstone.
What they achieved in a short time. In very little time. So rare that it is still difficult to understand. It’s still hard to believe. it is still necessary rub your eyes see the classification of Saturday and Sunday in Bahrain, in Sakhir, and check that Alonso finished fifth y third respectively.
And he did it in a very deserved way. Because it didn’t rain. Because there was no fuss to come. because so alone It was Charles Leclerc, pilots who were in front, the one who had a problem which caused him to resign. It is also not clear that Alonso, even with the Monegasque on the track, I would not have finished third. It was far, but the Aston Martin was a second faster than the Ferrari.
Tras Red Bull, Aston Martin
It was actually the fastest car on the track after the Red Bull. Yes, the path started in Montmeló, during the 2022 Spanish GP, but still something like that was unthinkable in Abu Dhabi. It was unthinkable at the end of the last Formula 1 World Cup.
But they did. They did it. They succeeded. And it wasn’t just thank you to the signing of Fernando Alonso. It is, of course, a more than valuable addition. Having a driver with his experience, and his talent, is always something that adds up. Something that matters. But let’s not forget that in 2021 and 2022 Aston Martin had in its ranks Sebastian Vettel, four-time world champion.
Not bad. However, the German’s best position in the entire last World Cup was two sixth places in Azerbaijan and Japan. In Baku, there was even five dropouts, with the two Ferraris between them; At Suzuka, without Sainz on track, he arrived just eleven thousandths behind Alonso.
In one race, almost half as many points as in 2022
He added 37 points in 19 races, after missing the first two in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As for Lance Stroll, he finished the course with 18 points. His best performance, in Singapore. He was sixth… but six riders retired. Between the two, 55 units in 21 grand prix. After Bahrain, Aston Martin already has 26… almost half.
If we go back to 2021, the Silverstone team (which had just a Racing Point which won at Sakhir with Sergio Pérez), finished with 77 points. Vettel added 43; Stroll, 34 years old. Sebastian was on the podium of this legendary Hungarian GP which ended with the victory of Esteban Ocon. IImagine how the race was…
But Bahrain didn’t have a lot of history. There were the two Red Bulls and then Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso, 18 points; Lance Stroll, 8 units ahead of even George Russel despite the fact that the Canadian practically he ran with a limp and with one hand. Yes, something has changed… and what has changed comes from where it comes from.
Fallows, Red Bull’s big mistake?
It comes thanks to Dan Fallows and Eric Blandin, mostly. Thanks to signatures in key positions in the team. The first He comes from Red Bull. con energy drink brand claims plagiarism and so on. The second, from Mercedes. Both, from the golden age of the most successful teams of the last decade.
But it is the only way to achieve such a radical change. It’s the only way not to lead a team that when Alonso signed this summer he was ninth Let’s see that he is currently rubbing shoulders with Ferrari. In 8 months, an almost impossible miracle was accomplished.
The secret? noncompliance. Not evolving like the rest did with their 2022 car. Realizing that this is not the way to get there. Only with this there is no mission that is worth more Fernando than you. You had to risk. And that’s exactly what they did.
the only resemblance What does the AMR23 have? with the AMR22 it is the color green. Everything else is new. The rest is not an evolution of anything. It is, as we said at the time, a revolution. The rest is almost the same as in 2022. the Mercedes, with these ‘no pontoons’, is the clear example of the path they did not follow not Aston Martin.
The keys to the green “monster”
Because winter has been a lot of work. ‘Cause you could see the illusion in the eyes of Lawrence Stroll and Mike Krack in the presentation of AMR23. And, of course, Dan Fallows. From the great architect of everything. Of the one who arrived and who, after completing the six months of “forced rest”, created a real monster.
The one who curves is a scandal. This made even Alonso himself recognize which is wonderful to drive. Its sidepods can’t be compared to any other on the grid, taking the best from Red Bull and Ferrari, with a rear end that makes the car very stable.
Besides, tire degradation is practically nil. We saw it in Bahrain, a demanding circuit in this regard. Fernando Alonso’s times, far from increasing like those of Ferrari, were maintained and he was able to play as he wanted both with his times and with the rest of the rivals for the podium. Their rays were merely, sensational.
The plan is work and work
Aston Martin had a plan. Not the type to win in a hundred races like Alpine. A plan to work on and go your own way. And it worked for them. the wind tunnel He was the great ally of those of Silverstone. There is nothing better than taking a test than seeing that the correlation in terms of what is seen on the track is the same or very similar to what was tested. Yes, beyond the lap times, even the tyres, it lets the team know that they are on the right track.
The one who has just started, because they have already confirmed that what is seen in Bahrain is just the base. This is what many had years ago and have evolved. Which, in the case of the Aston Martin AMR23, still has some way to go. At Sakhir, entering and exiting the curve, he was the best… and that makes the team optimistic.
Whether for Saudi Arabia and, be careful, with Australia. The semi-urban track of Albert Park can be, by its characteristics, the layout of Fernando Alonso win 33 in Formula 1. The Asturian, last year with Alpine, was already very close to making a real madness in qualifying.
And it is that everything is optimistic with the miracle that Aston Martin has created. The vision of Lawrence Stroll, owner of the team, Lance’s father’s “portfolio” to attract the brains of other top teams, his ambition with the clear idea of winning, winning, winning and winning again, the good vibe that it shows there is, the arrival of Alonso… and the concept of the car made what three months ago, and one year ago, seemed like an impossible mission.
A “revolution” to win
The “revolution” of the AMR23, which is, again, it is said, the basis of what is to come with evolutions that will change two thirds of the car as they have already confirmed in the team, it works. Others have “just” evolved their concept; Aston Martin has gone even further to not only lead the midfield, but to reach podiums and win races.