Aston Martin first to announce launch date for 2023 F1 car

Aston Martin has become the first team to reveal the launch date for its 2023 Formula 1 car.

The Silverstone-based outfit finished seventh in the constructors’ championship after a strong end to the season, only missing out on P6 to Alfa Romeo on count back.

It marked a turnaround in form after the team struggled to get to grips with the new technical regulations in the early rounds, lying bottom of the standings after the opening three races.

But a major upgrade package at the Spanish Grand Prix would provide the bedrock for an upswing in performance,  with nine points finishes after the summer break seeing it hunt down Alfa Romeo’s points advantage until the final race in Abu Dhabi.

Since being rebranded as Aston Martin last year, the team has failed to build on its impressive 2020 campaign where it finished fourth in the constructors’ championship and won the Sakhir Grand Prix.

But despite a lack of progress on-track, Aston Martin is making waves off it with its new factory almost complete and state-of-the-art wind tunnel set to be ready for use by 2024.

While Aston Martin was left with a huge void to fill following four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel’s retirement, the team has managed to draft in another world champion in the form of Fernando Alonso from Alpine.

Despite finishing behind team-mate Esteban Ocon in the drivers’ standings, Alonso’s season was impressive as with 14 points finishes and a front row start in Canada, he proved his speed and race craft has not wained at 41 years old.

Alonso will partner Lance Stroll, who will enter his fifth season at the Silverstone squad since joining from Williams in 2019.

Aston Martin confirmed it would unveil the AMR23 on February 13 at its new Silverstone campus, which will be the first car to be designed by technical director Dan Fallows since starting his role in April 2021.

The team’s new challenger will hit the track for the first time in pre-season testing, which will be run in Bahrain from February 23-25 just a week before season starts on March 5.