Problems began almost immediately, with Vettel forced to miss the first two races of the season due to illness – replaced by Nico Hülkenberg. Seemingly slow to adapt to the new regulations, Aston Martin ran pointless through the first three races of the season. But the team bounced back in Imola, achieving its first double-points finish since the French Grand Prix in 2021.
Subsequent good performances in Azerbaijan, Belgium and Singapore showcased the team’s true pace when it was able to execute a race properly. But it was ultimately inconsistency that prevented Vettel or Stroll from climbing any higher through the grid and push the team further through the midfield.
The sudden announcement of the impending retirement of Vettel midway through to 2022 campaign prompted Aston Martin to sign the hugely experienced Alonso for 2023 – creating a cascade of driver changes throughout the rest of the grid.
Ultimately, Aston Martin finished seventh in the constructors’ standings, narrowly missing out on sixth against a struggling Alfa Romeo.
2023: Aiming high
The completion of a new F1 headquarters based at Silverstone signals Aston Martin’s hopes for the future – to become an F1 title challenger. But it’s unlikely that even with a refreshed driver line-up, that challenge will begin as early as 2023.
The addition of Alonso certainly supports the team’s aspirations of returning to the front of the grid, as despite his age, the Spaniard is still widely regarded as one of the best drivers within F1.
Driving at Alpine in 2022, Alonso was once again subject to multiple reliability issues which halted his progress in the drivers’ standings – finishing ninth. Moving to Aston Martin for 2023 provides a clean slate, but also a heap of pressure for the team to deliver a car good enough for Alonso (remember the McLaren-Honda ‘GP2 engine’ fallout?). If the team can provide the right car, Alonso should have no issue in being a regular challenger for points, and who knows, perhaps even a podium?
Under an indefinite F1 contract – thanks to his father owning the entire team – Stroll will enter his seventh F1 season aiming to prove his worth once again. Unable to best Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ standings in their two seasons as teammates, the Canadian will look to prove himself against Alonso – with seemingly nothing to lose.
Aston Martin 2023 F1 driver line-up
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| Fernando Alonso | Lance Stroll |
- Leaving Alpine, Fernando Alonso is contracted with Aston Martin for two years.
- Lance Stroll is contracted with the team ‘indefinitely’
- Felipe Drugovich will act as reserve driver for 2023 season
Key personnel
Executive Chairman: Lawrence Stroll
Since leading a consortium of investors to bring Aston Martin back from a 63 year F1 hiatus, Lawrence Stroll has remained a key investor in the team’s future – now acting as executive chairman.
The new £200 million F1 headquarters is a notable example of the billionaire’s aspirations for the team, and its proximity to the Silverstone circuit as well as access to state-of-the-art design centres and wind tunnel should provide it with a significant on-track advantage.
Stroll’s relationship with Fernando Alonso also played a key part in luring another world champion to the team after the departure of Sebastian Vettel.
Team Principal: Mike Krack
Born in Germany, Krack’s journey to the pinnacle of motorsport began early in his career when he started working in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) and quickly made a name for himself with his technical knowledge and passion.
He then moved to Formula One as an engineer and quickly rose through the ranks to become a chief engineer for several teams. Krack’s hard work and dedication to the sport were eventually rewarded when he was appointed as the team principal of Aston Martin in 2021.
Under his leadership, the team made significant progress, and Krack was praised for his ability to bring the best out of the team. With his wealth of experience and strong technical background, Krack is poised to lead Aston Martin to new heights in the coming years.