Based on the Pre-season testing, Aston Martin looks like they have found some unreal pace in their car. The Silverstone-based team have managed to impress everyone despite putting only 387 laps onboard, the 3rd-lowest by any team.
Fernando Alonso managed to pull in the fastest lap on day 1 until Max Verstappen bettered it. Alonso again entered the top 3 on day 2, which brought the car’s pace to everyone’s attention.
So here’s a shot at an order as we stand today, with the usual caveat it’s only testing and this is likely to be completely wrong.
1 Red Bull Racing
2 Ferrari
3 Aston Martin
4 Mercedes
5 Alpine
6 Alfa Romeo
7 Haas
8 Alpha Tauri
9 Williams
10 McLaren— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) February 26, 2023
The team look to break the midfield dominance held by McLaren and Alpine. And looking at their plans, the team have already set themselves up for an ambitious target this year.
The Aston Martin AMR23 will not be like previous years’ cars
Aston Martin technical Director Dan Fallows assured the fans that the AMR23 is 95% different from the 2022 car. He further assured that “two-thirds of the car will change during the season”.
Fallows reveals the team desires to compete in the midfield, and Aston wants to move up the grid. Hence the team have adopted an aggressive policy to keep improving their car at an astonishing rate.
A busy three days for @AlphaTauriF1 😅#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/Jsx0S51x5V
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 25, 2023
He clarified, “The AMR23 is a significant development of the car that we refined in the second half of 2022, and we have improved it in all critical areas. Now we must focus on delivering an ambitious but efficient upgrade program for the first race and for the remainder of the season.”
What is Aston Martin’s goal for 2023?
Aston Martin has set a courageous target of fighting for championships in the coming seasons. But the team, who finished 7th in the Constructors Championship in 2022, have a long way to go.
For 2023, Aston Martin’s target is improving their midfield standings. The team wishes to compete with the likes of McLaren and Alpine and ideally finish 4th or 5th in the 2023 standings.
#F1 Pre-season testing in #Bahrain, summary (all 3 days cumulative: Best times (background colour = tyre compound), number of laps 📊 – #RedBull fastest, #Mercedes second & #Alonso with most laps pic.twitter.com/51k301jF7v
— Petr Hlawiczka (@hlawiczka) February 25, 2023
The best result this year is for the team to consistently secure points and be able to fight for the odd podium that comes their way. And if their pre-season campaign is to be taken seriously, the team are almost there in terms of being able to discomfort the BIG 3 teams at times.
The team are focused on being a powerhouse in F1. And with an experienced driver and title-winner like Fernando Alonso onboard, the team could be a “dark horse” this season.
Also Read: Will Buxton Predicts Fernando Alonso Will Score Podium at 2023 Bahrain GP
