Aston Martin comedically does resemble the Empire in some ways. Run by a ruthless authoritarian, seemly unlimited resources and somewhat hated ever since the Pink Mercedes controversy. But Aston Martin is a sleeping giant and is slowly beginning to wake up. Though Aston Martin’s new Silverstone facility wont be ready until May this year and their new wind tunnel in 2024, the team does have momentum on its side.
They started off the year poorly with a car similar to Williams in pace. But with steady development and a mid season concept change that closely resembled the Red Bull downwash concept, they managed to find themselves fighting with McLaren and Alpine by Abu Dubai. With the addition of former Red Bull head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows and former Mercedes chief aerodynamicist Eric Blandin coming into affect in 2022, likely masterminding the end plate concept seen during the year.
Aston Martin’s prospects already look promising for the 2023 season without mentioning Fernando Alonso. Who at 41 still looks to be in his prime and coming off a very strong but largely disappointing season with Alpine will be eager to drag this midfield team up into contention with his former team. Though this is a double edged sword for Aston Martin, because if they fail to provide Alonso with a competitive car they risk losing his services for the following season. My only main concern relates to the performances of Lance Stroll, who has at times looked like a race winner and also a very cheap paid driver. After coming together with Alonso in Texas, the two will already have a rocky relationship and with both of them having a frosty track record with teammates in the past, this could become a major weak point for the team going forward.
