The 2023 season marked several big achievements for entities and teams other than Red Bull and Max Verstappen. James Vowles entered his first season as Team Principal, leading the Williams team after leaving Mercedes. Meanwhile, Aston Martin had an incredibly successful season, astonishingly taking the fight to Red Bull in the first half of 2023. Eventually, both teams did a great job with what they had. In Episode 10 of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, the camera crew picked up on a conversation between Lawrence Stroll and James Vowles as the two struck up a ‘deal’ for the next season.
As the Abu Dhabi GP came to an end, Vowles walked up to Stroll. Vowles congratulated him on an impressive performance throughout 2023. In response, Stroll generously offered to help Williams out however he could.
Stroll – “Anything we can help with, we’re there.”
Vowles – “I’ll let you know. Till then, just keep doing what you’re doing.”
Chasing excellence, Stroll remains committed to correcting his team’s past mistakes. The Canadian businessman is burning a hole in his pocket to ensure success doesn’t evade him in F1. The start of the 2023 season saw Aston Martin become the second-best team on the grid. However, a mid-season slump saw their hopes fall. Nonetheless, Stroll isn’t selfish in his endeavors, as he also wants to see other teams make the jump on the more successful ones.
Drive to Survive not the only indication of inter-team inspiration
After the 2023 Bahrain GP, Williams‘ Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, discussed the significant strides made by Aston Martin. Following a dismal 2022 season, the Silverstone-based team was on a resurgent path in 2023. Per Robson, much of the success came because of some great work in the wind tunnel testing. Furthermore, Aston Martin’s foundations were much more clear, owing to their work in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Robson added the real challenge still lay ahead for Aston Martin.
Per Robson, Aston Martin would face a tougher task as the season progressed. Mid-season developments are always critical, and teams often turn the tide with them. Given the experience of teams like Mercedes and Ferrari, Robson was wary of what could come in Aston Martin’s way. Eventually, his fears proved to be right as the Silverstone team fell behind in the development race.
Both Mercedes and Ferrari were able to overtake them in the constructors’ championship, with McLaren hitting the final nail in the coffin. However, Robson concluded that the jump made by Aston Martin was certainly good motivation for Williams.
