Aston martin rapide e 2020

While Aston Martin are delivering beyond all expectations so far in F1 2023, Fernando Alonso highlighted that this means the team is struggling to match the development rate of their rivals. Aston Martin are certainly a team with grand plans, title success being their ultimate goal, and it was this ambition which convinced Alonso to leave Alpine behind and strike a multi-year deal to join the Silverstone-based squad. Few would have expected last season’s P7 finishers to emerge as the second-strongest constructor of F1 2023, but that is what Aston Martin have done. Alonso has featured on the podium five times in the opening six rounds, his P2 in Monaco last time out the cream of the crop, with the Spaniard sitting P3 in the Drivers’ Championship , just 12 points behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez a position up the road. Aston Martin meanwhile hold P2 in the Constructors’ Championship, a single point clear of Mercedes. The development war is truly now ramping up though for F1 … [Read more...] about Fernando Alonso highlights negative impact of Aston Martin’s unexpected rise

Classic Motor Cars restored the 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog concept and earned the prestigious Coppa d'Ora award at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este for the work. The next plan for the unique machine is to attempt to reach 200 miles per hour on June 6 at a former NATO base in Scotland. Aston Martin wanted the Bulldog to be the fastest car in the world at the time and thought it would have been able to reach over 200 mph. Classic Motor Cars took 7,000 hours to restore the unique vehicle. In addition, there were hundreds of hours of testing and making adjustments. Gallery: Aston Martin Bulldog 200-MPH Attempt 2 Photos “We have been dealing with 40-plus-year-old engineering and making sure that the integrity of the car is maintained while enabling it to do the 200 mph. In any restoration, an attempt like this is a balancing act between maintaining the cars originality but, also ensuring it is capable of carrying out what it was … [Read more...] about Restored Aston Martin Bulldog To Attempt 200-MPH Run On June 6

In the hands of Fernando Alonso , Aston Martin has been the surprise package of the 2023 F1 season, with Alonso sitting third in the standings behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez . The two-time world champion also kept Aston Martin one point ahead of Mercedes in the constructors' championship with five podiums in sixth races. Last weekend, only a stunning final sector allowed Verstappen to keep Alonso from pole. In a mixed-weather race, the Spaniard looked to retain an outside chance to beat Verstappen until a wrong tyre call cemented Verstappen's advantage, keeping Red Bull's clean sweep of 2023 race wins intact. According to Red Bull advisor Marko, Aston Martin's impeding reduction in CFD and wind tunnel time could impact its ability to keep up the pressure in the second half of the season. "If Aston Martin stay second in the championship there will be a reset of the amount of wind tunnel time around the middle of the championship," Marko told Motorsport.com. … [Read more...] about Red Bull: Mid-season aero reduction might impact Aston Martin’s F1 2023 bid

Fernando Alonso has played down his own chances of victory at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, with the Aston Martin man predicting a one-two finish for Red Bull in Barcelona. Alonso has emerged as the dominant Red Bull team’s closest threat in the early months of the 2023 season, finishing on the podium at all but one of the six races held so far. His best start to a season since his penultimate year at Ferrari in 2013 has raised expectations that his decade-long wait for a grand prix win could end soon. Alonso’s last F1 triumph came at his home race in Barcelona, but with Red Bull making a perfect start to the season – and Ferrari and Mercedes introducing potentially game-changing upgrades – he does not expect a win to come this weekend. He told the official F1 website: “It feels good. Obviously there is a special energy every time in Spain when I come here and I see all the fans. “I don’t think, realistically, we can fight for the victory. Let’s be clear. “Red Bull … [Read more...] about Fernando Alonso makes worrying Red Bull prediction for Spanish Grand Prix

This season has seen Red Bull dominate the front of the field and there is little to suggest things will be different when F1 heads to Barcelona, a place that usually rewards the best cars more than most. Its mix of long straights and varied corners suits a well-balanced package but this season a couple of changes could have an effect. Barcelona is usually used as a pre-season testing venue, but not this season. In the past, that testing session has allowed teams to tune up their machines to their limit, making it easier to get on the pace for the race weekend. This time, the teams will have a few more question marks than before. Another potential challenge is the removal of the final chicane, replaced by a sweeping right-hand bend to make up the final corner. This configuration was last used in 2006 – so the only driver on the grid who has experienced this layout in the past is Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso. Barcelona is traditionally where we see the first big car … [Read more...] about F1 Form Guide: Spanish Grand Prix

Last year's runner-up to Red Bull has now slipped behind Aston Martin and Mercedes to fourth in the constructors' championship ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. Unlike rivals who chose to bring major upgrade packages anyway to the unrepresentative Monaco lap following the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna GP, Ferrari instead opted to hold off its bodywork upgrades scheduled for Imola until the coming Barcelona event. But by not delaying, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was a representative second in Monaco while the revised Alpine ran to third in the hands of Esteban Ocon . Meanwhile, the Mercedes drivers were content with the performance of upgrades as they ran to a 4-5 finish. Ferrari's top finisher in the principality was home hero Charles Leclerc , who recorded sixth as a legacy of a five-place grid penalty for blocking Lando Norris in qualifying. Speaking to select media, including Motorsport.com, Vasseur said it "would be a mistake to compare … [Read more...] about Ferrari “pushing like hell” to address F1 2023 form

With Honda now confirmed at Aston Martin, seven teams either have an internal supply or a works partner, counting both Red Bull and AlphaTauri as recipients of the Ford-backed unit being developed by Red Bull Powertrains. There are no works deals left for McLaren , Williams or Haas to take. Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack cautioned recently that a works partner would be crucial in 2026 as the complexity of the engine package means that it will be essential that there is full integration with the chassis side. Stella says he's not worried about McLaren being a customer as long as it can have a close relationship with a supplier. The team is currently free to shop around for the best package and is not committed to being a Mercedes customer. "You definitely have to monitor that in making deals for 2026. That as a chassis manufacturer, like McLaren, you have enough room for influencing the power unit design, so that you are not left behind from a … [Read more...] about McLaren: Lack of works F1 engine in 2026 not a handicap

When is the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours? This year’s race starts on 10 June at 10:00am ET at the Circuit de la Sarthe. It will feature Hypercar competition between Cadillac, Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Porsche, reigning champions Toyota and Vanwall. Competition will also be fierce in the LMP2 category and the GT class, where Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari and Porsche will do battle. There will be added American interest in the Garage 56 entry, which this year is a NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro entered by Hendrick Motorsports and driven by Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller. #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Photo by: Rainier Ehrhardt What happened in last year’s Le Mans 24 Hours? Toyota scored a 1-2 finish, with the #8 car of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa beating the sister car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez. The Jota team won the LMP2 class, and Porsche beat Ferrari to glory in the GT category. … [Read more...] about Le Mans 24 Hours: How to watch on TV in the USA

There’s no rest for the wicked as F1 reaches the end of its first ‘triple-header’ in 2023 – here are the main talking points from the Spanish Grand Prix media day. This weekend marks the third planned race weekend in a row, in what would have been the first proper flurry of races had the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix actually gone ahead. As a result, the Spanish Grand Prix is merely the second race of what became a double-header, and an eagerly anticipated return to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the third sector has returned to the layout last used in 2006 – the onerous final chicane now removed. Let’s go through some of the key findings and storylines ahead of the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. All eyes on team upgrades Upgrades aplenty this weekend in Spain, with Ferrari rolling out the upgrade package that was supposed to have been debuted at Imola. This will see them move away from the big bathtub-style sidepods they’ve had since the start of 2022, unsurprisingly heading … [Read more...] about The key storylines to emerge from the Spanish Grand Prix media day