Aston Martin have been the surprise team so far this season, having carried their impressive pre-season form into the first race of 2023.
Fernando Alonso managed to pick up only Aston Martin’s second podium in F1 while Lance Stroll impressively managed to finish in P6 despite undergoing keyhole surgery for a wrist injury only 12 days before the race.
Aston Martin look to be the second fastest team on the grid at the moment behind Red Bull, as Fernando Alonso had no issues passing both of the Mercedes and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz on the way to his 99thpodium in F1.
Team principal Mike Krack has admitted that his team’s clean slate has helped their strong start, as they had no major issues to fix over the winter unlike Mercedes with their porpoising woes.
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“We are starting with a good foundation,” he said.
“This is particularly important under the rules for the budget cap. If you gave to sort out problems first, it hits you hard.”
According to Auto Motor und Sport, Aston Martin are pressing ahead with improvements to two-thirds of the AMR23 over the course of this season, rather than standing still and appreciating the strong car they currently have.
Fernando Alonso has praised his new team’s philosophy and improvement following his stunning start to life with Aston Martin.
“The important point is the new Aston Martin is a new car, a new project – this is just the beginning. This is just a starting point, not the finished car,” said the Spaniard.
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“Some of the top teams kept the philosophy they had last year… for us, it was much more difficult – we had to change 95 percent of the car.
“For us, there is much more to learn from the car and more to come on our side. I’ve got full trust in our team, they know what to do, so hopefully we can improve.”
With Ferrari and Mercedes both struggling already this season, Aston Martin will be beginning to believe that a runner up spot in the championship is theirs for the taking this year, despite finishing seventh in 2022.