Photo: Twitter / Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team
The 2023 Formula 1 season saw Aston Martin somewhat unexpectedly come out on track with what could safely be considered the second-best car behind Red Bull. But maintaining a strong position is hard in motorsport, so Aston Martin plans to introduce a big upgrade package at the Canadian Grand Prix to stay ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari.
And this upgrade package is an important part of the team's championship fight this season, as it could prove to be a turning point. So far, we've only seen Aston bring relatively small upgrades to the AMR 23.
During the Monaco weekend, the team brought a revised suspension setup as well as tweaked brake ducts meant to increase brake cooling and efficiency. This was followed by changes to the nose cone, front wing, and rear wing a week later in Spain. But this did not prove sufficient to keep Aston ahead, leading Fernando Alonso to push the team to do better. As a result, a big package has been announced for Canada, with another one on the way for Silverstone.
In the meantime, their main contenders for second place in the Constructors Championship did quite a bit more. The car brought by Mercedes to Monaco and then the Spanish Grand Prix can be considered a full B-spec version of what the team started the season with.
As such, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell took the first double podium for Mercedes, showcasing that their upgrades work. Granted, this is not a guarantee that the Silver Arrows will constantly be battling for podiums, as there is an off-chance Spain just fit their car better than it did others.
Ferrari also brought its own upgrades throughout the season, although slightly less effective. But regardless of that, Carlos Sainz still managed to finish ahead of both Aston Martins, while Leclerc was stuck in the midfield due to a poor qualifying session.
So, Aston Martin lost some ground in the development race. However, the team is still in a great position, as the Spanish Grand Prix was just a case of pre-existing problems being amplified. Aston Martin struggled with tire wear, especially on the soft compound, due to the changes in the third sector.
This is mainly due to the AMR 23 having somewhat of a downforce deficit at the front, causing the front tires to slide the last high-speed corner. The changes to the track also compounded the issues as they meant higher speeds would be achieved down the main straight, which is another weak point for Aston, as its car has a bit too much aerodynamic drag.
The problems faced by Aston Martin in Spain mean that the team has a clear picture of what needs to be addressed. And Alonso seems to still have complete confidence in the team's ability to bring an upgrade package that will fix the issues. So much so that he stated Spain would be the last race without a podium finish.
During the Monaco weekend, the team brought a revised suspension setup as well as tweaked brake ducts meant to increase brake cooling and efficiency. This was followed by changes to the nose cone, front wing, and rear wing a week later in Spain. But this did not prove sufficient to keep Aston ahead, leading Fernando Alonso to push the team to do better. As a result, a big package has been announced for Canada, with another one on the way for Silverstone.
In the meantime, their main contenders for second place in the Constructors Championship did quite a bit more. The car brought by Mercedes to Monaco and then the Spanish Grand Prix can be considered a full B-spec version of what the team started the season with.
As such, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell took the first double podium for Mercedes, showcasing that their upgrades work. Granted, this is not a guarantee that the Silver Arrows will constantly be battling for podiums, as there is an off-chance Spain just fit their car better than it did others.
Ferrari also brought its own upgrades throughout the season, although slightly less effective. But regardless of that, Carlos Sainz still managed to finish ahead of both Aston Martins, while Leclerc was stuck in the midfield due to a poor qualifying session.
So, Aston Martin lost some ground in the development race. However, the team is still in a great position, as the Spanish Grand Prix was just a case of pre-existing problems being amplified. Aston Martin struggled with tire wear, especially on the soft compound, due to the changes in the third sector.
This is mainly due to the AMR 23 having somewhat of a downforce deficit at the front, causing the front tires to slide the last high-speed corner. The changes to the track also compounded the issues as they meant higher speeds would be achieved down the main straight, which is another weak point for Aston, as its car has a bit too much aerodynamic drag.
The problems faced by Aston Martin in Spain mean that the team has a clear picture of what needs to be addressed. And Alonso seems to still have complete confidence in the team's ability to bring an upgrade package that will fix the issues. So much so that he stated Spain would be the last race without a podium finish.
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