Aston Martin is bringing its first updates to the AMR23 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as the team looks to challenge Red Bull’s string of success.
With the Silverstone-based team having given Fernando Alonso three consecutive podium finishes, Aston Martin is looking to provide the two-time world champion with his first win since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has made no secret of his ambition to secure a title for the team, as part of a multi-year plan.
“The mission is very clear. [Lawrence Stroll] has not been having any delay in telling us, ‘When are we going to win the next one?’,” Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack revealed.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
To achieve that goal, Aston Martin is introducing a new rear wing for the Baku weekend, making the most out of their wind tunnel time advantage over Red Bull.
The team is working to maximise the AMR23’s performance in the corners and ability to compete with the Red Bull RB19’s straight-line speed that has seen it glide past rivals.
“It’s definitely an advantage, we try to use it as much as we can,” Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough told AS.
“The more time you have, the more sessions you do and the more things you can analyse.
“We are every week in the wind tunnel looking for development avenues that can bring significant performance, keeping the cost ceiling in mind. From Baku onwards, parts will come in. It’s really the process that everyone is doing right now.
“Mercedes, Ferrari and us are close since testing. There are small differences between efficiency, slow corner, medium corner, fast corner. The cars do similar times but they do it in different ways.
READ: Ferrari boss hits out at FIA stewards with Fernando Alonso accusation
“Our car is more about cornering than straight-line speed. Last year we made a lot of rear wings to have an optimal rear wing for many circuits, but that’s very expensive.
“This year we have had the same wing for three races. We will introduce a rear wing at Baku, where a lot of efficiency is required, but we plan everything from a cost ceiling perspective,” he explained.
Aston Martin is trailing Red Bull in the Constructors’ battle by 58 points, with Alonso sat in third place in the Drivers’ Standings, behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.