Aston Martin AMR23: Engine, brakes, wheel base, suspension; All you need to know about the rapid 2023 F1 challenger

Ahead of the 2023 Formula One season, fans expected Aston Martin to improve from their horrendous performance in 2022, but few might have predicted them to improve as much as they have. Throughout testing and practice sessions ahead of the Bahrain GP, the Silverstone based constructor had the fastest times on track with their new signing Fernando Alonso. The team finished 2022 in seventh place with 55 points, level with Alfa Romeo. Their two drivers at the time, Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll, finished 12th and 15th respectively. The team was left without a driver for 2023 after Vettel announced his retirement midway through the previous season, but they managed to rope in two-time world champion and one of the greatest drivers in the sport, Fernando Alonso.

Expectations were definitely higher than last season, especially with a seasoned veteran like Alonso at the helm, but having the second fastest car is something nobody expected. Aston Martin got both cars in the points at the season opening 2023 Bahrain GP as Alonso finished P3 and Stroll finished P6. The team are currently second in the constructor’s standings with 23 points, only behind defending champions Red Bull Racing. So what have they done differently with the car this year? What are the specifications? Here is all you need to know about the AMR23 as per the official Aston Martin website.

Aerodynamics

The sidepods of the AMR23 combine the deep-angled undercut of its predecessor with a scalloped upper surface. The aggressive form keeps the efficient cooling components and louvres that made the AMR22 one of the most dependable cars of last season while improving airflow towards the floor, rear wing, and diffuser. Although front wing design has been strictly regulated since 2022 and has been simplified to reduce outwash and dirty air, it is still essential to the car’s aerodynamic performance because it directs airflow over all of its aerodynamic surfaces. Any changes here can have a big impact, so the AMR23’s front wing profile has been revised to be more aggressive than its predecessor’s.

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Floor

Teams struggled with porpoising and bouncing after the switch to ground-effect aerodynamics in 2022, an aerodynamic phenomenon that causes an F1 car to rapidly oscillate due to an abrupt increase and decrease in downforce. The FIA has raised the diffuser throat and raised the lateral edge of the floor to reduce aerosensitivity under the car in order to combat the phenomenon. There are six load application points on each side of the car, and when a total of 600N is applied to each side, the floor of the car cannot deflect more than 8mm due to stiffer tests for vertical deflection. The modifications will lessen the overall downforce produced underneath the car, especially in fast corners, as a large portion of a modern F1 car’s downforce is produced by the floor. The AMR23’s performance can only be unlocked by getting the most out of the floor.

Safety

There is always room for improvement in F1 safety. In order to ensure that this area of the car is sturdy enough in the event of a roll and lessen the possibility of the roll hoop digging into the ground, the roll hoop regulations have changed. Teams’ ability to control airflow around this area towards the sidepods and engine cover is now constrained by the air intake’s required shape. The mirrors’ dimensions have increased from 150mm x 50mm to 200mm x 50mm in order to improve rear visibility. Airflow towards the rear wheels and around the sidepods will be affected by the increase.

Technical specs