Aston Martin have been the surprise package of 2023 so far, with Fernando Alonso finishing the Bahrain Grand Prix in third place to score his 99th and Aston Martin’s second podium in Formula 1.
The team have poached a number of staff members from the big teams in recent seasons, with Dan Fallows being one of the more high-profile signings.
Fallows moved to become Aston Martin’s technical director after serving as Red Bull’s head of aerodynamics, bringing a lot of experience and talent to Aston Martin.
The 49-year-old played a role in designing the RB18, which dominated 2022 and led Red Bull to both championships.
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With Aston Martin improving so much over the winter and the AMR23 strongly resembling the RB18, Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Markos made comments following the Bahrain Grand Prix that appeared to accuse Aston Martin of copying,
“Not only did he make the switch, but also a number of other employees,” he told Sky Sports when asked about Dan Fallows’ move to Aston Martin.
“Obviously they have a good memory. We had three Red Bulls on the podium, only the third had a different engine!”
Marko has now come to Aston Martin’s defence, suggesting that his comments were a joke and that Red Bull are not at all investigating Aston Martin’s similar car design.
“No, by no means. And that shouldn’t be an accusation either,” he said when asked if Red Bull would launch a protest against Aston Martin.
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“These are just joking remarks. If you look at the field, the Aston Martin is the car that is most similar to the Red Bull.”
While Aston Martin’s start to the season has been phenomenal, Fernando Alonso has warned fans not to get ahead of themselves after only one race.
The Spaniard has explained that the next two races in Saudi Arabia and Australia will present the team with different challenges so only after these races will Aston Martin know what to expect from the rest of the season.