The RB-18 was a dominant car in 2022, with Max Verstappen winning a record shattering 15 races on his way to his second world championship.
Sergio Perez chipped in with wins in Monaco and Singapore to ensure that the constructors’ championship trophy made its way to Milton Keynes after an eight year stay in Brackley with Mercedes.
Dan Fallows served as Red Bull’s Head of Aerodynamics until it was announced in June of 2021 that he had signed a contract with Aston Martin, commencing in April of the following year, meaning that he had a hand in the design of the RB-18.
After bringing his knowledge and experience over from Red Bull to Aston Martin, Fallows was accused of copying his former employers at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, where the ‘Green Bull’ was debuted after a slow start under the new regulations.
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The team decided not to get involved in a war of words about their car design, which was ultimately unsuccessful, leaving the copying accusations to die down quicky.
While Fallows has agreed that he was a part of the process that created the RB-18, Aston Martin’s technical director has claimed that his current employers need to follow their own path, rather than trying to emulate Red Bull’s success.
“There are some philosophical aspects of the car which I was involved in,” Fallows told GPFans.
“Clearly, it developed a reasonable amount since I left. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the initial discussions, so I am aware of their philosophy and why they’ve done what they have done.
“The important thing for us is we don’t just simply follow what they do in the future in terms of their development philosophy.
“All our operating procedures, we need to make sure we find out own way of doing things. I think that’s what we’ve managed to achieve so far.”
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New Aston Martin signing Fernando Alonso has boldly claimed that the team could be capable of challenging for championships within a couple of years, having been impressed with the quality of the staff behind the scenes during his first test with his new team.
Like many other teams, Aston Martin struggled to find the best development path in the first year of Formula 1’s new era, however after upgrades applied late in the season, the team became a regular point scorer.
Having figured out what works under the new regulations, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will be hoping that they are provided with a competitive car from the start in 2023.