Aston martin

Fernando Alonso is fully confident his future employers Aston Martin can beat his current team Alpine in 2023. Earlier in the season, such a prospect appeared very unlikely with Alpine among the pack competing at the head of the midfield, while Aston Martin at times found themselves scrapping to avoid bringing up the rear. Even now Alpine are looking the stronger team, P4 in the standings and with two rounds left to see off the threat of McLaren seven points behind, although Aston Martin have been making progress in their own right, scoring points on seven of their last nine outings. Singapore, Japan and the United States were particular highlights. There is nonetheless ground to make up once Alonso joins Aston Martin next season, his total of 71 points for the season up to now higher than Aston Martin’s overall haul of 49, that even with several retirements from points-paying positions. Alonso has seen enough in Aston Martin though to believe they can surpass Alpine next … [Read more...] about Fernando Alonso confident Aston Martin can overhaul Alpine in 2023

As Nico Hulkenberg closes in on a move to Haas, Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has waxed lyrical about the German driver. Since dropping off the Formula 1 grid at the end of the 2019 campaign, Hulkenberg has served as a test and reserve driver for Racing Point and then their current incarnation Aston Martin. But it appears he is now set to return to the grid, Haas expected to announce Hulkenberg as the replacement for Mick Schumacher in 2023. And he comes highly recommended by Aston Martin , McCullough describing him as a “class act”. Hulkenberg contested the first two rounds of the 2022 season with Aston Martin and so, asked how long it took for him to get back up to speed, McCullough replied: “Not very long at all. He was thrown right in at the deep end at a time we were scratching our heads a bit with the car. “He obviously turned up in Bahrain and not a lot of time – seat fit, compromises, straight in there. “He’s a very talented, naturally gifted … [Read more...] about Aston Martin understand why Haas would want to sign Nico Hulkenberg

If Aston Martin had not have stuck to a one-stopper, then Sebastian Vettel feels they would have been celebrating P6 in the Constructors’ Championship. Starting his final Formula 1 race from P9 at Yas Marina Circuit, Vettel was looking very competitive in the early stages behind the wheel of the AMR22, putting intense pressure on the Alpine of Esteban Ocon ahead. Vettel had a couple of looks into Turn 9, but there was no way through. Vettel then was left on the defensive as drivers pitted around him while Aston Martin kept him out as they committed to the one-stop strategy, Vettel asking “who’s next” by the time Lando Norris came back past him in the McLaren. That ultimately proved to be the wrong call, Vettel running P11 in the closing stages, which became P10 when Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire. With five points the difference between Aston Martin in P7 and Alfa Romeo in P6 in the Constructors’ standings, Vettel harried McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo in the closing … [Read more...] about Sebastian Vettel: Aston Martin ‘threw away’ P6 with flawed one-stopper

Although Sebastian Vettel scored in his final Formula 1 grand prix, Timo Glock says it could have been a lot more were it not for Aston Martin’s “annoying” strategy. Vettel lined up ninth for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and soon found himself fighting the Alpine of Esteban Ocon for position. He tried to overtake several times as they fought over eighth place, Vettel getting ahead at one point only for Ocon to retake the position moments later. But while Ocon was one of the first to pit, Alpine putting him on a two-stop strategy, Aston Martin went for a one-stopper for Vettel. That left the driver a sitting duck as those on fresher tyres can flying past, Vettel asking the team: “How did we get the strategy so wrong?” He pitted shortly after, his one-stop strategy allowing him to recover to 10th place . Glock reckons it could have been so much more had Aston Martin pitted him sooner. “It was a bit unfortunate that he was left out for so long,” the former … [Read more...] about ‘Aston Martin’s annoying strategy cost Sebastian Vettel best of the rest’

Mike Krack says some of the Alfa Romeo driver’s moves on his Aston Martin pairing were “borderline” in Abu Dhabi as the two teams went into the season finale haggling over sixth place. It went to Alfa Romeo by virtue of Valtteri Bottas’ fifth-placed finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Aston Martin lined up on the Yas Marina grid five points behind Alfa Romeo and with everything to play for as fifth versus sixth in the Constructors’ Championship is worth about $10 million. Although it was the AMR22 that had the better pace, both in qualifying and the grand prix, Alfa Romeo went with a “very defensive” strategy with Bottas admitting the aim was to “play with the green cars” . Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel still managed to score as they finished eighth and tenth respectively. But it wasn’t enough. “I think we shouldn’t be frustrated,” Krack said as per Motorsport.com. “I think a great end of the season overall, it could also have balanced in the other direction. … [Read more...] about Aston Martin not impressed with Alfa Romeo’s ‘borderline’ moves in Abu Dhabi

Aston Martin’s “game-changing” rear wing will be banned as of next season, F1 chief technical officer Pat Symonds citing the potential for it to push the cars “in the wrong direction”. This year Formula 1 welcomed a new era of technical regulations, the cars designed around ground effect aerodynamics and with simpler wings aimed at creating clean air flow off the cars. And then came the Aston Martin rear wing, completely legal under the FIA’s own regulations but not quite in the spirit of them. Introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the wing resembled last season’s rear wing more closely than the the 2022 iterations. Billed as a “game-changer” by Sky Sports’ pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz, he explained: “It catches more air. It stops the spill over of air from that rear wing main plate out to be lost or not worked by the rear wing to do any kind of downforce generation that we’ve seen on every other cars. “[It’s] stopped the outwash, stopped the spill over and to regain a … [Read more...] about Aston Martin ‘armchair’ rear wing design will be banned from next season

Listen to this article The Spaniard made contact twice with Ocon on the opening lap of the Brazil GP sprint race at Interlagos on Saturday. Having been forced wide at Turn 4 on the opening lap, he slid into the side of Ocon on the exit. Then, further around the lap as they neared the start/finish line, Alonso damaged his front wing after clipping his teammate's right rear tyre as he attempted an overtaking move. While the Spaniard was unimpressed at Ocon's actions in both incidents, the stewards deemed Alonso at fault for the second clash and gave him a five-second penalty. Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer has made clear that he is not happy with how both drivers behaved, but Alonso says he is not interested in what is going on at his current squad as he begins to look forward to his move to Aston Martin for 2023. He is due to get his first run in Aston Martin's F1 car in the post-season test at Abu Dhabi. "Now in the penultimate race, I just want to go to Abu Dhabi … [Read more...] about Alonso just wants to get on with Aston Martin F1 future

Listen to this article Vettel and Stroll have had several on-track skirmishes this year, notably in the French GP, when in the middle of the last corner of the race Stroll appeared to slow suddenly, forcing Vettel to brake dramatically in order to avoid hitting the sister car. The Canadian explained later that he'd had an oversteer moment. They had another clash on the first lap at Spa, costing both of them time. In Saturday's sprint race at Interlagos, Stroll moved left and put Vettel on the grass on the straight down Turn 3 while the pair were battling for position. Stroll later received a 10-second time penalty and three points on his licence. The stewards also opted to use strong language by calling the Canadian's move a "dangerous manoeuvre", a phrase that is rarely used in their documentation. Aston Martin boss Mike Krack says on-track clashes are inevitable between equally-matched teammates but insists his team will not change its approach. "When … [Read more...] about Aston Martin: No plans to name number one driver despite latest teammates clash

Listen to this article After two campaigns with Alpine following his F1 comeback at the start of 2021, Alonso is switching to Aston Martin for next year after signing a long-term deal. As part of an arrangement among several teams for them to try their new 2023 drivers in the Abu Dhabi test after the F1 finale, Alonso has been released by Alpine and is scheduled to get a day’s running with Aston Martin. And while the run will not give him much indication of what’s to come from the team’s AMR23, the day will bring benefits to help him hit the ground running when the 2023 challenger does run for the first time. “It is important,” he said about the test. “Performance-wise, it will not be important, because the car will be very different next year for everyone. “But in terms of comfort, seat, steering wheel, the buttons, things that I would love to maybe change and get into my tailor-made everything, it will be nice to have a day in the car. So I’m looking forward.” … [Read more...] about Alonso: First Aston Martin F1 test an “important” opportunity