Aston Martin's unexpected main strength revealed

Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows admits that the biggest strength of the team's 2023 Formula 1 car is its unexpectedly strong level of performance.

After ending the 2022 F1 season in seventh place, the squad have taken a significant step forwards to currently sit third in the Constructors' standings, only 13 points behind second-placed Mercedes.

When asked about the AMR23's main strengths and weaknesses, Fallows told media, including RacingNews365.com: "I think the biggest strength is that we're doing a lot better than we were expecting to.

"It's gratifying to come into the season with a competitive car, or at least a car that's competitive for the P2 position."

Advantages and disadvantages

Despite this, Fallows acknowledges that one of the advantages of Aston Martin's car can also work against them at some circuits.

"I think we've seen at tracks towards the beginning of the season that in low-speed corners, we've had an advantage," he explained.

"But the truth is, when you have a car that is perhaps good in one set of corners rather than another, it does mean that you end up having to make set-up compromises for those particular circuits.

"So you find that circuits where you have one particular speed of corner or one particular corner type or fewer of the variety of corner types, you need to have a car which is rather…

"You can optimise those and if you then go to a circuit where there's a lot more variety, you have to make those compromises. And that's what we've found. That's what we've really been working on."

Aston Martin target revealed

While the team are working to address this issue, Fallows admits that closing the gap to Red Bull is not likely to happen quickly.

"I think what Pierre [Wache, Technical Director at Red Bull] alludes to about their car having very high efficiency, we all see that, we all have the data as well," Fallows continued.

"So clearly, that's something we're working on. But that in truth is not something that comes overnight.

"It's baked into the concept of a car, but it's obviously a big target for us to try to make sure the car is slippery as well as quick in the corner."