Aston Martin's resurgence not proof that new F1 regulations are working, feels Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso has clarified that Aston Martin's big leap in performance does not correlate with the new F1 regulations. The Spaniard finished third in the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, shocking the entire grid and F1 fanbase.

Aston Martin have taken huge steps forward in recent times. They finished seventh in the constructors' championship last season.

During the post-race press conference, RacingNews365 asked Alonso if Aston Martin's drastic improvement was a testament to the new F1 regulations. However, the driver denied that the F1 regulations played a part in his new team's resurgence. Instead, he praised Lawrence Stroll's leadership and explained how every team has the same opportunity to improve. He said:

"I don't think so. No. I think you need to have the vision and the ambition of Lawrence Stroll, or our leadership and our management because the opportunities are there for everybody but it seems that only one team is willing to do whatever it takes to win. And you know, I'm proud to be part of this organisation."

Max Verstappen, who won the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, also commented on what Fernando Alonso said about everyone having the same opportunity and the importance of having good team members. The Dutchman said:

"Yeah, Fernando's absolutely right. I think you mentioned all of it and I think it doesn't matter if it was the previous generation or this one. I think if you have the right people in charge, and they really want to win and they hire the right people, anything is possible."

It is clear that Aston Martin will be one of the top teams in the 2023 F1 season, especially because they have had lots of time to test their car in the wind tunnel since they finished seventh last year. Hence, their future upgrades will be much stronger than those of most teams.

---

Toto Wolff admits that Aston Martin have taken the right concept and path in developing their 2023 F1 car

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted that Aston Martin have found a better concept and path to squeeze performance out of the Silver Arrows power unit and progress forward. He explained how both teams have the same wind tunnel and engine, but one was able to improve much more.

Speaking to AutoMotorUndSport, Wolff said:

"It's the aerodynamics. We have the same wind tunnel and therefore the same limitations and opportunities in our test runs. I think Aston [Martin] have shown how it's done. They did a total reset with their concept and found the right way."

It is indeed surprising to see that a power unit customer team can perform much better than the works team.