Formula 1: Aston Martin will bring some major upgrades to Canadian GP

The team have fallen behind Mercedes in the constuctors championship for the first time in 2023.

It’s no surprise that the 2023 Formula 1 season for Aston Martin has been nothing short of a miracle, as the team which finished 7th last year are now competing with the top dogs in the sport.

However, the recent Spanish Grand Prix proved to be a challenging weekend for the team as they finished behind both Ferrari and Mercedes, hindering their pursuit to be the closest challenger to Red Bull. Now, in an effort to improve performance, Aston Martin plans to introduce significant updates for the upcoming Canadian GP.

Rivals match the Astons' pace

This decision comes after both Mercedes and Ferrari brought substantial upgrades to their cars in earlier races, closing the gap on Aston Martin, who had previously held a healthy lead over all other teams. As a result, Fernando Alonso has emphasized the need for his team to accelerate the introduction of upgrades to maintain their competitive position and regularly contend for podium finishes.

Moreover, team principal Mike Krack has acknowledged Alonso’s concerns and assured fans that plans are underway for improvements. However, it is important to note that the team has not specified the exact nature of the upgrades.

“He is right to ask us and push us for that. There will be something coming to Canada. It will be a step forward,” said Krack.

Reasons for Aston Martin’s sub-par Performance

When discussing the team’s poor performance, Krack pointed out that although Aston Martin initially struggled in Barcelona on soft tires, the situation seemed to stabilize when everyone switched to harder compounds later in the race.

Additionally, when asked whether the rivals’ upgrades reshuffled the pack, Krack responded, “No, I don’t think so. When we look at the later stages of the race, when we had the hard tires on, for example, we were back in contention compared to our competitors. We need to understand why there was a difference in competitiveness at different times during the race.”

Furthermore, Krack believes that the order of the teams in Spain did not accurately reflect the pace of the top contenders, as Alonso’s race was heavily compromised during an incident in Q1 qualifying that damaged his car’s floor, therefore impeding his chances of fighting for a podium.

Lastly, commenting on the current team lineup in terms of pace, Krack said, “It is too early or too easy to draw conclusions based on Barcelona alone because we haven’t seen the full picture in qualifying. It’s similar to the beginning of the year when it takes a few races to determine our true position. While others may have made significant strides, our initial analysis doesn’t reflect that.”