Lawrence Stroll, the man in charge of Aston Martin F1, is confident that incoming updates to the AMR23 will help secure a double-podium finish at this weekend’s Canadian GP.
The most recent event in Spain was a disappointing one for the British squad, who lacked the pace to compete for a podium on Sunday – perhaps for the first time in 2023.
Although floor damage in qualifying limited Alonso’s chances on Sunday, it is clear that the newly upgraded Mercedes W14 was performing at a higher level than Aston Martin.
This is not the first time Mercedes has shown impressive pace, with Saudi Arabia and Australia arguably serving as the most notable examples. However, unlike in those race weekends, Fernando Alonso had no answer.
It is worth noting that the Catalunya Circuit has traditionally been a strong circuit for Mercedes. Even last year’s W13 was capable of fighting for a podium – and perhaps even a win in Lewis Hamilton’s hands.
Still, it would be wise for Aston Martin to use the disappointment of Spain as a reminder that complacency cannot be allowed to seep in.
Speaking ahead of the Canadian GP, Lawrence Stroll outlined his optimism going into this weekend:
“Those are exactly the plans. Hopefully, get two cars on the podium,” he told Reuters.
“I’m extremely confident. I believe the car will be very strong around the Montreal circuit.
“It suits our car well…so I’m really looking forward to going home and really looking forward to a great race.
“I believe we are bringing solutions to those [problems] and some upgrades into Canada.”
Both cars finishing in the top three is a very ambitious goal, given that it would require one of the Red Bull drivers to struggle.
This is without even mentioning the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, who will surely represent a threat to at least one – if not both – of Aston Martin’s duo.
Regardless of how effective the AMR23’s updates are (which remains to be seen), it seems overly presumptuous to assume they will instantly allow the Silverstone squad to challenge Red Bull.
Even the best upgrades take time to adjust and optimise, so this weekend will only provide an early indication of how effective Aston’s new parts will be.
With that said, Aston Martin demonstrated in 2022 they are capable of developing at a high rate during mid-season. As such, dismissing their capacity to improve would be a mistake.
Having remained a regular podium finisher with minimal changes, the upcoming race weekends are an opportunity for Aston Martin to solidify itself as a legitimate threat at the front.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
