2023 Aston Martin | Aramco | Cognizant F1 Team

[organic]

Yes Schumacher would probably do better than Drugovich, but it is nice to see 3rd/reserve drivers actually getting to do the job they are employed to do. I thought it was a bit harsh when teams take drivers from other teams rather than use a reserve eg Merc leaving Stoffel (their reserve) and choosing Russell instead; of course in this situation it made complete sense but still.. it feels wrong. So it is nice to see it go to Drugovich

I will say having watched him in F2 this driver is not erratic and is not accident-prone. Of course this is F1 but it bodes well

[AR3-GP]

It definitely seems like Stroll will be out of the first race. I would probably say he's out for the second race as well if that's the case, because Jeddah is a very demanding circuit and there is not much time between races. Right now I don't see how it wouldn't be Drugovich in the car, and he seems decent enough. I mean he's not going to go head to head with Alonso, but then again Stroll probably wouldn't either.

Ironically Mick Schumacher would be a decent sub on loan from Merc, but Merc loaned him to McLaren not Aston. Schumacher-Alonso would have been a good-sounding driver lineup, even if Mick isn't exactly Michael when it comes to pure talent IMO.

But that's what Drugovich is on the payroll for, so let him do his job. I'd rather the actual third driver get the job, unlike, for example, when Hamilton missed a race in 2020 and suddenly "every option was on the table" even though they already had three reserve drivers available, and went with none of them.

Would be ironic that Vandoorne could yet again miss out on an opportunity to drive a very competitive F1 car in Bahrain because of a Formula E commitment.

Stoffel made his bed when he chose Formula E.

Hulkenberg stayed by the tableside waiting for reserve roles.

[zoroastar]

[The Prodigy]

So far feels like finally fortune is turning towards alonso. Feeling optimistic.

It’s all hype in my opinion. The car looks good but let’s be honest… RedBull, Ferrari and Mercedes are the dominant teams for a reason. If Aston Martin has the fourth fastest car throughout the season it would be a huge accomplishment and a good foundation to attack the top three 2024 or 2025.

Let’s be realistic guys. Otherwise you will be disappointed - believe me.

[KimiRai]

So far feels like finally fortune is turning towards alonso. Feeling optimistic.

It’s all hype in my opinion. The car looks good but let’s be honest… RedBull, Ferrari and Mercedes are the dominant teams for a reason. If Aston Martin has the fourth fastest car throughout the season it would be a huge accomplishment and a good foundation to attack the top three 2024 or 2025.

Let’s be realistic guys. Otherwise you will be disappointed - believe me.

No one here seriously suggested beating any top 3 team. Team continuously downplays its expectations in social media and through de la Rosa / Fernando. For me even the 5th car would be a good step.

[DGP123]

Yeah, challenging the established is unrealistic, but I’d say 4th could be a genuine target, given the issues highlighted at McLaren etc

As for Alonso, I’m not a fan. It does tend to begin rosy and end in tears.

[zoroastar]

the projected "tears" by f1 fans that dislike alonso are huge, but if you put that spotlight on any top driver its just as bad. nobody is going to be blaming lewis for the car mercedes made last year, or vettels lackluster career after leaving redbull, or kimi, or schumaker for that matter. his career is what it is. if the sport wasnt dominated by one team at a time hed have a few more championships. cant blame the guy for not being nostradamus. and you cant blame any top driver for expecting the same out of the team that he drives for. hes made sensible career choices that didnt pan out the way most people expected, and whether people believe it or not, he hasnt left any teams in flames that didnt have a ton of flamable baggage to begin with. hopefully aston are on the up like it seems atm

[PinkFloydPulse]

Bravo! Someone reasonable at last! Good post mate!

[F1doc]

[xReVo]

I didn't understand why in the long runs alonso ran on 37-38 and verstappen on 35-36. Is there a 2 second difference? Is it possible? However, in terms of sensation, I see it as third/fourth force behind Mercedes, waiting to see Alpine. McLaren is in bad shape, williams alfa romeo, AT and haas don't seem to be on par with aston.

[organic]

I didn't understand why in the long runs alonso ran on 37-38 and verstappen on 35-36. Is there a 2 second difference? Is it possible? However, in terms of sensation, I see it as third/fourth force behind Mercedes, waiting to see Alpine. McLaren is in bad shape, williams alfa romeo, AT and haas don't seem to be on par with aston.

10kg makes a 3 tenths difference in car pace. Put 50kg more fuel in the car and you go 1.5s slower than you would've. So max is simulating some race stint with much less fuel than Alonso was

[F1doc]

I didn't understand why in the long runs alonso ran on 37-38 and verstappen on 35-36. Is there a 2 second difference? Is it possible? However, in terms of sensation, I see it as third/fourth force behind Mercedes, waiting to see Alpine. McLaren is in bad shape, williams alfa romeo, AT and haas don't seem to be on par with aston.

10kg makes a 3 tenths difference in car pace. Put 50kg more fuel in the car and you go 1.5s slower than you would've. So max is simulating some race stint with much less fuel than Alonso was

Or the Red Bull is in a class of its own (for now). Testing is testing. Times are hard to decipher, but AM visibly look in a vastly better spot than last year.

[organic]

I didn't understand why in the long runs alonso ran on 37-38 and verstappen on 35-36. Is there a 2 second difference? Is it possible? However, in terms of sensation, I see it as third/fourth force behind Mercedes, waiting to see Alpine. McLaren is in bad shape, williams alfa romeo, AT and haas don't seem to be on par with aston.

10kg makes a 3 tenths difference in car pace. Put 50kg more fuel in the car and you go 1.5s slower than you would've. So max is simulating some race stint with much less fuel than Alonso was

Or the Red Bull is in a class of its own (for now). Testing is testing. Times are hard to decipher, but AM visibly look in a vastly better spot than last year.

The RB is not 2s/lap faster than Aston martin on a comparable run

[the EDGE]

With Drugovich back in the car today, I think it’s a pretty clear sign that Lance will not be in the car next weekend

If he broke both wrists a few weeks ago, I can’t see how he could be

[Mansell89]

The ride of the AM looks very smooth indeed- the only car comparable to the big 3 IMO.

Couple of Qs for you very knowledgable people if that’s okay!….


Any idea on set up and rear wing in terms of whether we are runnning higher DF than our peers? I’m excited by how the car looks smooth, but that would be slightly exaggerated if AM are running much higher DF for example.

Do we know much about whether they have done low fuel or turned up the engine modes yet?

Any early indications on how the Merc PU might be comparing to Honda and Ferrari?