P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Aston Martin enjoyed early success in the opening stages of the 2023 Formula 1 season, but a slump midway through the year. Team ambassador Pedro De La Rosa speaks to RacingNews365 exclusively about how they managed to turn things around.
Aston Martin had a strong start in the 2023 season, establishing themselves as the second-best car on the grid, closely behind the dominant RB19. The AMR23 had a more aggressive design, particularly with the downwash sidepod concept, which provided stability for Alonso and Stroll to push the Pirelli tires. Alonso even praised the car as “lovely to drive” during his podium finish in Bahrain.
However, Aston Martin faced a development war with Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren midway through the season. Alonso only managed one podium between the Austrian and Qatar Grands Prix, while double retirements in the USA and Mexico led to a slump in the Constructors’ Championship, dropping them from third to fifth.
Their mid-season struggles were attributed to difficulties in understanding and optimizing their updates, specifically the floor design, which affected their performance. The team lacked track time and testing opportunities, while other teams quickly adapted and benefited from their upgrades.
Lack of car setup optimization, especially due to differences between the AMR22 and AMR23, also set Aston Martin back in crucial moments. The tight competition on the grid made even a slight loss of performance detrimental, pushing them out of the points.
The team and drivers faced significant stress during the process, as they had to make adjustments and decisions quickly. This was evident in situations like qualifying in Sao Paulo, where they had not even tried the Medium compound tires before the Sprint Shootout.
Overall, Aston Martin had a fantastic season but tried to accomplish a lot in a very limited time, leading to challenges and setbacks.
