Aston Martin have been the shock team of 2023 so far, with the AMR23 looking like a quicker car in terms of race pace than the Ferrari and the Mercedes.
The team’s sudden rise to the top has been on the cards for some time however, with Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll funding the team’s project for the past three seasons.
Stroll’s backing has allowed the team to sign high-profile drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, while it has also allowed a number of talent staff members to join the team.
Multiple people have jumped ship from Red Bull to join Aston Martin in recent seasons, with former Red Bull head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows taking up the technical director role at Aston Martin.
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Fallows had a hand in designing last year’s dominant RB18 and after Fernando Alonso finished on the podium in Bahrain, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was quick to make a thinly veiled dig at Aston Martin.
“Based on one race, you’d have to say they were the second strongest here,” he said.
“They’ve obviously done a good job over the winter. They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery and, you know, it’s good to see the old car doing so well.”
Following the Bahrain Grand Prix, podium finishers Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso were required to take part in a joint interview, where Perez could not resist making a joke about the AMR23.
“It’s nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium,” joked the Mexican, leading to laughter from both Verstappen and Alonso.
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This is not the first time that Aston Martin have been accused of copying Red Bull, with last year’s car being nicknamed the ‘Green Bull’ at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Dan Fallows has always denied that he and his team are copying Red Bull but having spent so much time working with a successful team on a successful car, it is easy to see where the AMR23 got its inspiration from.
Aston Martin will hope that the season opener in Bahrain was not a one-off wonder, with more podiums being the target for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.