Aston Martin has provided an insight into how its 2023 Formula 1 car is taking shape, stating that 90 per cent of the parts are new.
Following a slow start to the 2022 campaign, the Silverstone-based squad’s form improved as the season wore on.
It scored points at nine of the final 11 races of the year and tied with Alfa Romeo on 55 points in the Constructors’ Championship – however the Italian outfit took priority for sixth in the standings on account of having a better race result during the year.
Speaking in an Aston Martin pre-season interview, deputy technical director Eric Blandin outlined how fresh the AMR23 will be compared to its predecessor.
“We took all our learnings from last year’s car and applied them to this year’s car,” he said.
“So much of the AMR23 is new, it’s completely different from the AMR22.
“We’ve changed more than 90 per cent of the parts and more than 95 per cent of the aerodynamic surfaces are different.”
2023 will mark the second year under new technical regulations, with the rules changing dramatically last season.
As Aston Martin looks to make progress towards the front of the grid, Blandin says that there will be “clever innovations” on the new car – but suggested that they won’t be game-changers for the team.
“We’ve implemented a few clever innovations on the new car – they’re the icing on the cake,” he said.
“They’re a nice-to-have, but not a must-have. It’s great when you find a small loophole and can use it to your advantage, but it’s not often you can base an entire car around it.
“Instead, it’s essential to get the basics right, and then you can add things.
“When you start a new car project, you identify what your limitations were the previous year – and how you can overcome them with the new design – and you define the architecture that will give you the most potential for the future.
“If you pursue the wrong concept, you can end up boxing yourself in – you run out of road for development – and that’s a very difficult situation to get out of.”
Aston Martin has recruited Fernando Alonso for the upcoming campaign following Sebastian Vettel’s retirement, with the two-time F1 champion partnering Lance Stroll.
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