By Connor Bacon
Aston Martin revealed the AMR23 from their new factory at Silverstone this evening with technical director Eric Blandin saying it is a “significant development” on the 2022 car.
The team had a difficult start to last year with a fundamentally flawed concept, but development throughout the season allowed them to climb the order and claim seventh in the constructors’ standings.
That is not exactly where owner Lawrence Stroll wants or expects to be, however, with significant investment in a new factory and recruitment from some of the sports top teams, the Canadian has big ambitions.
“This year’s move into our new state-of-the-art factory is more than just a serious statement of intent, ” said Stroll.
“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.”
The AMR23 appears to be in keeping with Stroll’s aims as technical director Dan Fallow’s revealed that the team has not been conservative in its approach and said they have tackled the regulations “without compromise.”
He said: “The design team was adamant that it wanted to tackle these regulations without compromise.
“We want to move up the grid and start challenging the teams at the front – and you can’t do that by sitting back and being conservative.
“The AMR23 is a significant development of the car we refined in the latter half of 2022 – and we improved it in every critical area.
“It optimises the solutions we felt would offer us the most performance, and it embodies the joint vision we have embraced and have built over recent months.”
He added: “Now we need to focus on delivering an ambitious yet efficient programme of updates for the first race and across the remainder of the season.”
New superstar signing Fernando Alonso commented on the atmosphere at the team and believes there is plenty of performance to unlock.
“I have always said that I could see the ambition that shines bright at AMF1”, said the 2- time world champion.
“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.”
Mike Krack wants to build upon the improvements made as 2022 went on.
“The second half of 2022 showed real signs of progress as we worked hard on car development. For this year, our aim must be to build a car that can fully deliver on its performance potential from the first moment it hits the track.
“Making a strong start to the year, and then maintaining that momentum, is necessary if we are to make further advances towards the front of the grid. And, as an organisation, we are working hard to achieve that, and to further strengthen all areas of the team.
“We already know the proven strengths of our design, engineering and build departments – the arrival of Fernando, partnering Lance, further underlines the sheer depth and range of our driver squad. It feels like every element of this organisation is really working well together.
“Finally, we would like to thank all of our fans for their unwavering support, and we look forward to seeing you across the world this season.”
The team will shakedown the car at Silverstone before heading to Bahrain for pre- season testing.
Photo: Aston Martin
