The preseason is a time for hope, in the presentations all the single-seaters predict a step forward. There will be time after Bahrain to evaluate the real performance of each team. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso lived this Wednesday another day of emotions at the Silverstone circuit: Aston Martin completed a ‘filming day’ on the track attached to its factory and the two-time Spanish champion got on the AMR23 for the first time in the afternoon shift. It was premiered before by Lance Stroll.
The event curiously coincided with the presentation of the Mercedes W14, also at Silverstone; and with the first laps of the black car with George Russell at the wheel. These kinds of tests are very limited: only 100 kilometers can be completed with Pirelli demo tyres, not competition ones; and the purpose has to be to shoot images that can be used for commercial purposes by the team. In any case, made the law, made the cheat: the teams have these ‘filming days’, two per season, and take advantage of them to make sure that the car is well assembled before the tests (February 23-25) and of the first grand prix of the year in Bahrain (March 5).
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“It was a good day and I enjoyed driving the AMR23 for the first time. It’s good to feel the speed of an F1 again. We got a lot done because it was a filming day and we were able to stick to the plan. We only have to wait a week for the tests and we will know our car better. We will better understand where the competition is after the winter. There is only a day and a half of testing for each one in Bahrain so we must maximize our time”, said Alonso.
Tom McCullough, Team Performance Director, said: “We’re happy with our ‘filming day’ and it’s a great effort in pre-season. It’s good to see the AMR23 on the track for the first time with Lance (Stroll) and Fernando. At the beginning the track was very cold but we had a good time. The car is 95% different from last year, so it’s good that it’s out on track and we’re all going in the same direction.”
The AMR23 was presented last Monday at Silverstone and Alonso was realistic, “this year we will not fight for victories”, but also optimistic. “I am very demanding in everything I do, I expect a lot from the people I work with because I give one hundred percent, I expect the same. From day one at Aston Martin, I felt exactly that. We have the leadership of Lawrence (Stroll), I have known him for many years and he has been very successful in many projects in his life, I know that he will be successful sooner or later in F1 and that is motivation. New people joining the team, Dan Fallows, Eric (Blandin), the best of every department. There is something in this team that makes things special. We have the investment and the talent, it is a matter of time”, Alonso told AS during the event. It will be his 20th season in F1 at the age of 41.
In addition, Alonso also presented the final design of his new helmet, his first as an Aston Martin driver. He recovers the original colors of his time at Renault.