How Aston Martin embarrassed its rivals in F1 2023 opener

[@Mrpanenka75]

Red Bull and Aston’s improvements over a year in a budget cap era are quite the humiliation for Ferrari and Mercedes engineers

[@mizzydas7855]

They are also the two teams who broke the budget cap

[@ddeegy]

​@@mizzydas7855 bruh...

[@yesno5466]

More like they poached a lot of engineers for them but yeah

[@Mrpanenka75]

@@mizzydas7855 yea i doubt an overspend of about a million is very comparable to the 100M Mercedes spent more than the competition during 2014-2019

[@NikiN1]

​@@Mrpanenka75 uh, it hurts 😖😂🤣

[@nbtv85]

Regardless of whose aerodynamic concept AM is following, the fact that they're beating their PU supplier is a feat by itself. Mercedes should be embarrassed.

[@jmigbarak4819]

now we have green mercedes

[@louisduong2090]

@@jmigbarak4819 no, more like the Mercedes is the black Aston Martin

[@rodolphendessabeka8721]

Trust me they are embarrassed. I would love to see how the debrief went last night in Bahrain.

[@RRGoalie1]

German sky spoke with Toto and said that there was nothing positive to say, only negative. He said they need to take another path now. And Marko Helmut later estimated about 3/4 races for them to come up with something new. I’m looking forward to it.

[@adamwilson7590]

Great point! Green Merc ftw!

[@hieuluu2]

12 months ago in Bahrain, AMR22 was fighting the Williams for last place, with one car DNF. 12 months later, in the same track, they are on the podium, what a turn around.

[@screaminlead]

Something that shouldn't be overlooked here is that the aero team at Aston may have the widest breadth of knowledge. Their switch from Red Bull style concept to the pink Mercedes at the end of the last rule change as well as developing two paths of car concept (likely due do Dan Fallows) they have now worked theoretically and practically with more aero concepts than any other team on the grid within the last 4 years.

[@cadet15]

Damn, that’s a really good point. This was a proper poaching gone well.

[@TwentyNinerR]

@@cadet15 True. The upper echelons at AM really knows who's who at the sport.

[@RIchard-ky7zk]

Allot of people also seem to forget that this team did very well before the budget cap and before Lawrence Stroll even got in. But that whas with a low budget, They could still give Perez podium's in Baku. Meaning they already had a good team, They just added some more people and allot of money.

[@zedrhyx1788]

what do you expect redbull took alot of Mercedes engineers then aston martin did the same took some of redbull engineers and many senior engineer from other teams

[@gelmir7322]

red bull and aston martin were busy pirating real established talents, while Merc, upon the insistance of "Sir" Lewis Hamilton, are showing off how "diverse and inclusive" they are.

[@just_matt214]

The moment Lance strolled past Russell and proceeded to not get overtaken even after a full little trip outside of track limits was the moment i knew shit had gotten real.

[@mark2306]

I like how you said "strolled" lmao

[@just_matt214]

@@mark2306 "WHAT HAS HAPPENED! WE NEED TO KNOW WHO'S GONNA COME OUT IN FRONT!"

[@mark2306]

@@just_matt214 "'AS WE SEE LANCE STROLL HITTING THE BARRIER AND GOING OVER THE KERB ONE MORE TIME..."

[@elijahrafaelsistoso4771]

“This is a lovely car to drive” - Fernando Alonso

[@parkercrossland410]

Alonso will 100% be the best quote on the paddock this year. They could make a meme review just on him alone come season end.

[@tedfromyt6523]

faster prob more faster than rb or ferrari fastest lap on hard tyres?? faster than rb that free leading the race

[@NemXX2]

I still remember the rant he had on Lewis last season when they crashed. That was hilarious! 🤣

[@maruzik]

Is nice to see Alonso having a good day at the office. Hopefully this is the year where all his talent will reivindicate him as one of the greatest. Not to shabby for a 41 year old F1 driver...

[@souldry]

@@maruzik he was, is and always will be one of the greatest drivers this world has ever seen.

[@Panman9698]

Great to see a 4th team outside of the "big 3" challenging the top. I know it's early, but it's great to see this

[@Akhil007PP]

Yesterday's race was like, redbull on another league, the rest 3 competing with each other . Ferrari, Merc and now Aston Martin

[@SD-mi2vc]

"4th team" what powered by mercedes

[@Panman9698]

@@SD-mi2vc Well Renault engine is bad, what can I say

[@SD-mi2vc]

@@Panman9698 dont you not see the problem?

[@Panman9698]

@@SD-mi2vc I do, but this has been the case for long time now, 2026 maybe we will have 6-7 engine providers

[@nexus438]

Well Zac Brown can't blame Danny Ric anymore. Their car is regressing year to year. Poor Lando and Oscar.

[@nickmoncada3526]

Oscar chose mclaren over alpine, That’s his fault

[@gothicm3rcy426]

cant see lando staying

[@MahmoudHAhmad]

@Nick Moncada Alpine is not that good either, at least for now. Gasly dragged it to P9 and got lucky with Haas and Mclaren being awful and Ocon and Alpine worked together really hard to ruin their race. A lot of issues needs to be solved there.

[@gelmir7322]

Well this year's cars are built upon the performance of the previous cars and the feed backs and inputs of their last years drivers.

[@justadummy8076]

@@MahmoudHAhmad the Alpine’s performance is better than the McLaren, & currently also their reliability is better. Yes, their reliability was bad last year, & they absolutely ruined Ocon’s race, but Gasly went from P20 to P9 which is an impressive climb which wouldn’t have been possible in a slow car

[@f1lap1]

Leaps like Aston or Brawn GP come once in 10-20 years. Aston did it this time!!

[@sgript]

You mean like Mercedes in 2014 lol, Aston is not as budget as Brawn any more and only a few years ago as Racing Point were best of the rest like Mercedes pre 2014

[@sgript]

Also as much as I do love Aston being this high up, I can’t help but feel it won’t last for long unless they can become a works team (have their own exclusive engine supply). Mercedes just needs to sort their aero out and they will be better equipped having developed the engine in house. So whilst right now it is embarrassing for Mercedes, I suspect they will be back once they give up their aero direction Aston Martin Honda any one?

[@noahd.4551]

@@sgript It's not unheard of for a customer team to outperform a works team. Redbull did it for years with Renault.

[@cozzy4447]

Dude it's one race in and AM didn't obliterate like brawn did in the first race and many thereafter. Looking at it objectively I think it's a one off and i suspect in the next few races AM will drop off due to the development race.

[@SuperBranFlakez]

But now with these regs you’ll see this more often I think, which is exciting

[@williamshaneblyth]

This says it all...Dan Fallows previously head of aerodynamics at RB is now the technical director of Aston Martin

[@kawaiikeyboards]

only time will tell if the student (Dan) can beat their master (Adrian).

[@williamshaneblyth]

@@kawaiikeyboards Adrienne has stepped back recently

[@souldry]

@@williamshaneblyth stepped back how? During the middle years of the initial hybrid era, he stopped showing up to the paddock. But he’s back to sitting on the pit wall during races.

[@MrThedestroy3r]

​@@williamshaneblythhe has not. RB tries to us think that way, due to the fact that RB technologies pays 50% of Adrian's salary so it does not count for the cost cap. Adrian is 100% at F1.

[@HeavyMetalGamingHD]

Yep, I think dan fallows deserves a lot of credit. And we now also know, why they promoted andy green away from the f1 team

[@unwelcomemotivation]

there's something special about the complimentary black and green when lewis and alonso were battling. Very aesthetically pleasing.

[@01-aleriorayyaarifaisal91]

Ngl i almost forgot who is who because they colour almost similiar in dark

[@soundscape26]

The Aston almost turns into black on night races.

[@BlackNuke145]

really I think the Aston looks dull and uninspiring.

[@WOWWOW-hk1tb]

@@BlackNuke145 It's classical beauty in a world of plastic and tattoos

[@TheChzoronzon]

@@BlackNuke145 You have your taste in the butt, bro. The most beautiful car on the grid by miles

[@christianknight7120]

Also Fernando Alonso is a great development driver, he can pinpoint weaknesses and help develops strengths. An absolute veteran that has seen it all when it comes to car development

[@LimitPro1]

@@MrReinierdewit that was purely all on McLaren's pride they wouldn't listen to his feedback much like to Honda.

[@DailyShit.]

Surely developed the Alpine in 2 years.

[@Autoshopwing]

@@MrReinierdewit Tell me a Driver who would have achieved anything with the Honda engine then. Thank you for not answering.

[@justadummy8076]

@@LimitPro1 something tells me something similar happened with Daniel Ricciardo because McLaren thought Norris was doing well enough

[@paulronan6770]

@@DailyShit.alpine was stable and fast, but unreliable. A driver can give plenty of feedback but when I team don’t care or doesn’t listen what do you expect.

[@AD-df5tm]

Lawrence Stroll deserves so so much credit. He has been exactly what an F1 owner should be. Someone like Gene Haas should be taking notes.

[@dvo66]

force india was my fav midfield team. its great to see AM doing good. they had some of the most honest hardworking people in that team

[@chiefkeef74]

I foresee a podium with Alonso and Stroll in the near future.

[@parkercrossland410]

Seeing Alonso looking fresh, motivated, and achieving the results to back it up is an exciting prospect. I did not have the chance to see him before his Alpine days, but he seems like a good mix of being one of the bigger characters alongside talents of the last 20 years. Most of todays drivers seem less emotionally expressive and sassy than drivers of pre-hybrid era, so it's refreshing to see someone who brings the drama and entertainment value disrupt the status quo and have success.

[@albertusaswin2012]

It is to be expected. Sorry, I used Mortal Kombat dialogue style, especially Raiden's. Basically, we can expect what Deech said. Podiums for both Fernando and Lance in the same race. We can only wait.

[@gothicm3rcy426]

stroll is crap

[@nbain66]

​@@parkercrossland410if you started watching after his second McLaren stint, do yourself a favor and rewatch 2015 or 2017.

[@nulnoh219]

What, Lance - the torpedo- Stroll?

[@whassupg89]

Really interested to see if Aston are this good on tracks that aren’t so much about tire wear. It’ll be great if so

[@Eric.L.95]

Doesn't really matter the track, the less tire wear the better. Gives them more options for pit strategies and attacking/defending opportunities

[@codycherrington2314]

Tire deg is an issue at every track

[@bigjoefupa]

If a car is great on high deg tracks it'll be great everywhere once you can set it up well. That amr will be fast everywhere

[@zarethd]

The only times this is gonna come back to bite them will be

[@zarethd]

The only times this will come back to bite them is tracks where the warmup is severely hindered, cloudy cold days perhaps after a rain shower on a low grip/low abrasion track

[@Ixxlostinabox]

I was skeptical of Lawrence Stroll initially, but he has proven me wrong and then some. I give AM props for the current car, I didn't think they would be this high up the grid.

[@maxartemas5995]

I was rooting for AM last year. Glad to see they'll be getting some camera time this year.

[@Rearmostbean]

Picking up Alonso was big. He still has the drive to win, and I think Vettle did not have that after the Ferrari drop off. Props to the whole team. Lawrence made a big call saying his team would become a champion caliber, and they look on their way

[@Christzo18]

I agree but don’t forget it’s not just alonso stroll ahead of Russel says it all

[@Whatreally123]

I'd disagree that Vettel didn't have the drive. The AM cars were just not good yet Seb pulled in some great performances. Just the most horrible timing that he decided to leave at the end of last year.

[@Orion-ns8hj]

Vettel had the drive but the car was shit

[@orbit1894]

@@Whatreally123 his one foot was out the door already, he wasnt motivated and didnt have that drive after the Ferrari fail. Sure last 2-3 races he enjoyed it and performed well but overall, nah Seb couldnt wait to retire.

[@Rohank05]

@@orbit1894 yeah as if he told you 😅🤣😅

[@CarlosdCover]

For what i heard from alonso interviews, they already have a lot of upgrades ready, so they are ready to keep pushing more, they understand the concept that they are using in their car, is not just copypaste from red bull, they can develop.

[@asterixdogmatix1073]

I've been inspired to watch Frentzen's 1999 season in the Jordan F1 all over again.

[@KayJblue]

That French GP was a master class.

[@brown-eyedman4040]

How great to see a mid-field team score a podium. I hope this is a foretaste of the season to come. Maybe the cost cap and testing limitations work, and cleverness and driver skill are more important that cubic dollars.

[@budthecyborg4575]

Aston Martin seeing success in F1 would be one of the best things to happen to F1 in a long time. The "Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari" trio have been the only teams at the top for the last 14 years now.

[@rogue254]

McLaren was among the top teams...up until 2014

[@budthecyborg4575]

@@rogue254 You're right McLaren was matching Ferrari in constructor's points in 2010-2012, but in 2013 McLaren finished with just 122 constructor's points so they did drop off before 2014, only just by one year.

[@Blacksounds45]

I noticed something yesterday with the tire management thing. Did anyone notice how fast Alonso was immediately after changing tires which should be cold compared to the rest right? Yet even Stroll did a fastest lap on the first lap after just changing tires now that needs to be studied because it is incredible it is insane.

[@zbou23]

Hamilton fan?

[@AMGU2B]

I respectfully disagree with your observation that the AM were immediately quick with the tyres. Quite the opposite in fact. They were better a tyre management but it took them a bit to get them into temperature (which is why Alonso was first losing ground to Russell in the first stint, for example).

[@BadWallaby]

Lance even performed fairly well considering his recent injury! I was pleasantly surprised! This season is going to be a good one!

[@alexp2327]

And the fact that Stroll is an average driver. This Aston Martin is truely amazing

[@denmandavie482]

i wonder how merc feels supplying their engine to a team following red bulls concept and getting beaten. if toto looked the way he did in the team principals meeting last year, it's gonna be a whole other level this season.

[@marion817]

Toto pathetically trying to take credit by saying half the AM is Merc. By that same logic, RBR's 4 championships with a Renault engine are half credited to Renault which is absolutely false. Toto needs to eat some humble pie just this once.

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

Merc is the new Renault now

[@Christopher_TG]

I wouldn't say Aston's following Red Bull's concept. They definitely did with their upgraded car last year, but this year's AMR23 is substantially different from the RB19. In fact, the Aston Martin actually looks closer to Ferrari's concept right now.

[@tshepo7122]

They deserve it for being arrogant enough to keep this rubbish design

[@Avidav]

They use Mercedes' wind tunnel too! How embarrassing.

[@CaptainSlow2469]

Mike has finally kracked it .

[@titan_fx]

I can only hope that it isn't only 1 trick from AM. I hope AM could challenge the 2nd place in the constructor championship.

[@johnjones928]

I want to see how the AM performs on other circuits, it clearly has Red Bull's ease of tire use but qualifying showed it's about 3rd best, which is still pretty damn good BTW. Saudi should be a good test, the surface was pretty smooth last year.

[@tHebUm18]

Feels like vindication to me. Feel like everyone has been sleeping on the fact that AM hired a lot of top tier folks from other teams, have top tier facilities coming soonTM, and were arguably the best team last season at upgrading from the dog of a misstep they started with to vying for top of the mid field on race (but certainly not qualy) pace. Their 5 year plan seems legit, will be interesting to see how it plays out. Hated seeing everyone think they're a meme because they fumbled new regulations.

[@Wizzkidwas]

AM also very clearly still have the drive to actually be at the top, something you just don't see with Alpine and McLaren, who seem to have gotten complacent with being 4th best

[@fernandoguillemamoros3547]

5 year plan, *stares at Renault*

[@ddsonly2199]

No feat at all, they copied the winning formula of RB

[@tHebUm18]

@@ddsonly2199 You mean the formula partly developed by Dan Fallows who now works at AM? And that the FIA confirmed AM developed independently before 2022 car reveals? Facts not very friendly Mr. RB fanboy.

[@F1-Purist]

Alonso proving he’s the greatest wheel to wheel racer ever

[@robertvega1551]

At the moment yes, last year I would put him a top with Vettel. They rarely make contact when wheel to wheel.

[@ddha0000]

no dude, he just had a very fast car with great low tire deg.

[@F1-Purist]

@@ddha0000 did you see the overtake on Lewis? That was pure class… the onboard is even better

[@ronaldotoppo5109]

​@@robertvega1551 Vettel is not as good as Alonso at wheel to wheel racing.

[@Rearmostbean]

Magical

[@Juandinggong]

Aston is such a beautiful car with that color!!

[@Toastermann]

If AM keeps doing well I will leave my F1 TV active just to listen to Alonso's onboard. Good for them, more competition is only a good things for fans.

[@scienceByV]

Goes to show nothing is impossible. And the people who work for you define your success. Aston went for the big guns of big teams and the results are here

[@ua697]

The "copycat" team

[@bobturnbull18]

@@ua697 God knows no other team in Formula 1 has ever copied another or poached their engineers.

[@fullbass1426]

That car is lovely to drive specially on the tight corners. It looses a bit on the straights, but it is definitely a very well balanced car. And carlos saying rb and amr doing something different about the tires, while actually being gapped by charles 😂. Maybe he should ask charles what he was doing differently.

[@foxman105]

Seeing Alonso enthusiastic is a win for me.

[@sh-spectrum409]

The Bahrain track layout certainly laid bare Ferrari’s mid-speed corner understeer troubles. Hopefully that doesn’t take ages to sort and I’ve crossed fingers that results improve in Jeddah.

[@cidiracing7481]

Well if the car just disintegrates like it did in Q1 or blows up in the first race it doesn't matter what speed they have in mid speed corners when they can't finishe races, or have to start taking grid penalties for engine parts after a handful of races.

[@sh-spectrum409]

​@@cidiracing7481 Thankfully from what I've read online the engine didn't actually fail, it just shut down after the Control Unit component failed. So take any crumb of comfort you can get I suppose.

[@gothicm3rcy426]

ferrari heel has always been reliability in recent years

[@gothicm3rcy426]

@@sh-spectrum409 shut down = fail

[@liamshelley496]

@@gothicm3rcy426 The point they're making isn't that it didn't 'fail,' rather that it wasn't the engine itself that failed

[@sunizzo]

Bahrain GP Podium via F1 Jordan: 1. Adrian Newey 2. Adrian Newey (+11.9) 3. Adrian Newey’s former senior aerodynamicist (+26.5) Congrats to Adrian Newey for sewing up this years championship. His Red Bull’s just disappeared into the distance. No one is catching them.

[@mbal4052]

Did you gave the Mercedes engine builders the same congratulations when they made that beast? Haha

[@sasch2307]

@@mbal4052 I did (as a die-hard RB & MV33 fan) and I would do it again. Respect where respect is due and glory where glory is due. That Mercedes was a beast back then. Each team has capable personnel and their glory days. When it comes to the new regulations, it comes down to interpretation and style. Still, every team does their best and deserves every bit of achievement they get.

[@michael___684]

Imo vettel is part of this success. His feedback last season was helpful for sure but noone seems to remember it and everyone is just praising alonso

[@CaptainSlow2469]

He definitely is. One Aston Martin team member said that sadly he won't be able to taste the fruit of his hardwork.

[@0megalul309]

Just like msc and Mercedes

[@jjhh6754]

I'm not exactly an Aston's fan but it's so thrilled to realize they can be sitting on the 2nd fastest team

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

Merc is now where Renault was in the first RB domination era

[@richardstewart8694]

I gained new respect for Alonso. He made those passes without pushing anyone off the track and gave room - like you’re supposed to. Max and Lewis need to take note. And those Stroll naysayers can go pound salt.

[@Kartin99]

Magic Alonso

[@ananastudio]

Que grande éres Magic

[@ldarkllrevanl181]

I honestly see a bright future for Aston Martin. It's similar to Mercedes. In 2012 they had Michael Shumacher and then switched over to world champion Lewis Hamilton the next year and by 2014, they were the most dominant team in F1. Now I don't think history will repeat itself but Sébastien Vettel, retiring at Aston Martin. Them replacing him with world champion Fernando Alonso and gaining a huge advantage on the midfield. Now I don't see Fernando racing with Aston for more than 2 years however if Aston proves they can be a championship contender, they can invite new younger talents to join them. Like imagine Lando going to Aston Martin after Fernando leaves and challenging for the world title.

[@thesighbored]

Go AM and go FA, give us more excitement!

[@philgiglio7922]

No one can extract more from an underperforming car than Fred, thrilled to see this result

[@andrewphilips2457]

I would suggest with Stroll's deep pockets and aggressive expansion, they are a top team with their ability to spend and recruit. That all takes big bucks and I'm sure, even in the cap era, that makes a significant difference.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

I think Aston has made such a good car, and this is only the baseline. They are title contenders. Mike Krack was in this position in 2008, but was foiled by stodgy executives. They won't waste the chance.

[@rodolphendessabeka8721]

The hype is REAL. Aston Martin humiliated Mercedes. I'm pretty sure the Daimler board's conference call with Toto this Monday morning is going to be HOT!!! 🔥🔥🔥

[@jackwilbur9419]

Wise move for Alonso. Drives pretty aggressively for an old guy. Let’s call it experience

[@glidertastic5778]

It's his second year in F1 :D

[@paulsearch731]

​@@glidertastic5778 haha

[@PolanaAnurag]

@@glidertastic5778 Has the experience rating of Alonso changed to 100 in th F1 game?

[@soisaidtogod4248]

LOL 41 projected as old.

[@adrianfuentes8423]

@@soisaidtogod4248 as a F1 driver, surely he is.

[@aes0p895]

AM obviously deserves massive praise, but I also think F1's made a lot of good choices to increase competitiveness between teams. Cost cap and wind tunnel time differences being chief.

[@patrickodd1884]

Judging by how Aston Martin developed their car last year. They will be title contenders

[@Spudchucker92]

Say what you want about Fernando, but the old boy still has the fire inside him. I’m rooting for him to win a race this year.

[@Ikcatcher]

I really hope Aston Martin can keep up the pace

[@dannyooi6125]

Dad Power - Never under estimate a dad that supports his kid all the way.

[@skatan4727]

I hadnt seen such an exciting race in such a long time. I predected the AMR being competetive this season since the end of the last. I hope the car gets even better.

[@A_Gray]

Agreed. I dont think ive been this on the edge of my seat since the final lap at Abu Dhabi back in 21.

[@RufusATM]

Exciting? It was a one team race. After the hype of free practice times being so close, and praises to F1 for making it a more competitive field ........ it was just a rerun or 2022. One team dominated. How is that exciting? Sure AM had a nice weekend, but they were never a threat to RB. I was really disappoint by the performances of Mercedes and McLaren.

[@A_Gray]

@@RufusATM RB isnt the only team on the field. The entire race the grid was switching it up. With the exception max and lando the gaps were usually less than 3-5s apart. It was good racing all around. plus a rest of the rest team last year pulled off a hat trick and surpassed best of the rest. Im not a huge AM fan but im impressed

[@OmegaF77]

@@A_Gray I think he is referring to the fact that RB just cruised to victory.

[@A_Gray]

@@OmegaF77 with pre season and practice we all kinda knew that would happen though. Then again if your only rooting for one driver or one team your most likely gonna be disappointed 19/20 times

[@SilverScarletSpider]

please do a video praising the work of Gasly’s Alpine, Bottas’s Alfa Romeo, Albon’s William, and Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri. Even the strong pace of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen’s Haas despite the damage means they should be in the points fight.

[@vincecarlo]

Alonso's Overtake on Lewis made it look easy n Lewis a Rookie

[@elliotcowell3139]

We saw how good it looked under braking even while following. High downforce tracks like Monaco and Silverstone should be interesting

[@TheUltimateJazz]

As an Indian and an avid supporter of F1 since the Schumacher days, it is genuinely nice to see the work and crzy high achievements of FORCE INDIA still being remembered to this day, especially as it is seen as the foundation upon which this new age Aston Martin has been built.

[@karthikkulkarni9458]

Yeah...me too....i started watching F1 because of force India from 2010.....then became a fan of F1 and i always supported force India every season no matter how they performed, same with racing point...now same with Aston Martin as well.....no matter what happens in future i will keep supporting this team and they inspire confidence in me of what one can achieve

[@drakeignis4322]

Alonso's podium yesterday just solidified my perspective on a certain driver and 6 of his WDCs. All of those years, he was able to win those titles because of HIS CAR. Last season, he had the third fastest car and apparently is proclaimed to be the best driver on the grid yet he wasn't able to win a race. Even yesterday, Alonso pushing his way through the field showed what a real driver can do. Don't get me wrong, Hamilton is a good driver, but lets just be honest, all of those years, it was mostly the car aiding him to titles.

[@rodolphendessabeka8721]

All drivers win because of the car. Do you want to put Verstappen in a McLaren and see what happens?

[@drakeignis4322]

@@rodolphendessabeka8721 That's not the point. Ofcourse Verstappen wins because of the car. Hamilton also won because of the car. But that's the thing, Hamilton won mainly because of the car. If he was so good, why couldn't he defend against Alonso? 2021 showed his weaknesses in the spotlight. Why couldn't he catch Sainz in a dying Ferrari? Being such a great driver, he just doesn't have the ability that people claim he has.

[@drakeignis4322]

@@rodolphendessabeka8721 moreover, we have seen Verstappen in the third best car and saw him consistently come to the podium and even win races. And that was in an era where Mercedes was top dog with no competition.

[@rodolphendessabeka8721]

@@drakeignis4322 can you remember how many times Alonso and Hamilton have spared over the years in equal machinery and the results? Once you have the results please come back to me with the same statement.

[@rodolphendessabeka8721]

@@drakeignis4322 Hamilton drove a few McLarens that were not on par with the competition for at least 3 years. He won a grand prix and had multiple pole positions and podiums.

[@damienthimonier4900]

The AMR23 clearly says that Mercedes have gone wrong with their "no-pod" design.

[@fkez0510]

Aston Martin are the first team to finally bridge the gap from the midfield to the front runners since 2014. It's actually kinda insane that this is the team that's finally done it Renault were hyping it all up that they would after 2018 McLaren were looking to be the ones after 2019 and 2020 But no, both of them failed, and here we are seeing Aston Martin doing it instead. Amazing

[@dmurphy1578]

I love watching toto lose. I wonder if the FIA will need to check the regulations for him again.

[@loopje]

sadly he can’t rely on Uncle Masi to hand him a championship 😔

[@christopheroconnor4665]

Same it's great. Toto is such a child

[@CaptainSlow2469]

​@@loopjelet's go porpoising

[@rossrreyes]

After what seems like forever of Merc domination I am very pleased 👍👍👍

[@bradweinberger6907]

You watch any of last season?

[@Thebigboomyesyes]

@@bradweinberger6907 2014-2020 is what most people would assume he’s talking about. Last season was the start of another era of RB dominance

[@Chris-sm2uj]

RB domination much better

[@everythingman987]

And before Merc domination? It was Red Bull domination for 4 straight seasons. That was arguably much worse because RB as a team has zero heritage. They’re an energy drink company. Mercedes literally invented the car, and the Mercedes team began as Tyrell.

[@g_webb21]

​@@Chris-sm2uj Not at all. Any dominance is not good anyways.

[@chriswirges5202]

It's nothing less than astonishing that Aston, using a customer engine, is beating Mercedes, their supplier, and Ferrari. Their race result will find the other top teams in a state of shock. The next few tracks aren't that much different, so I'm expecting this to continue. This insistence from Mercedes to continue with the zero side pod concept has really cost them. There are many technical reasons this isn't working. Hamilton himself said they need more down force. You can get that from side pods that are basically empty. They are merely there to direct air flow to increase down force. By the time 2025 rolls around, Norris will be long gone from McLaren. He won't be waiting for something that may or may not happen. Although I'm a die hard Ferrari fan, it's hard not to be happy for Aston. They've earned my respect and I'm thrilled for Fernando.

[@LimitPro1]

I have been hearing that having side pods acts as another wing, so pretty sure having zero side pods hurt Mercedes badly.

[@prajwalggowda5599]

This is the best time to never miss this channel videos because everyone predicted Aston Martin 3rd or 4th and this channel definitely told it's equal to Ferrari and better than Mercedes a few days before. If you want definite news about F1 you should follow The Race

[@Whisper555]

Stroll with 1 hand beat Russell. Alonso can race, but for me Stroll's result is the big tell.

[@Straywork]

I'll always be a Red Bull fan, but Aston is def my second favorite team. Really hope they keep this up and get more podiums

[@mclarenscca]

Truly gutting for McLaren! 😢

[@GrayCatbird1]

Very exciting stuff! We've seen top teams fall from grace before, but it seems like the first time since 2009 that a new one reaches the top.

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

Bootleg Red Bull defeated factory Mercedes car. They really got their car wrong

[@Christopher_TG]

I wouldn't say Aston's following Red Bull's concept. They definitely did with their upgraded car last year, but this year's AMR23 is substantially different from the RB19. In fact, the Aston Martin actually looks closer to Ferrari's concept right now.

[@christopheroconnor4665]

And a Ferrari! Tho Carlos' race pace sucks but still! MAGIC ALONSO

[@christopher6101]

I actually wonder what Alonso could've done about Perez's second had he not lost out to both Mercs at the start

[@marlmyster]

Nothing at all... Both RB's were cruising, Perez pulled away from Charles by 10+ seconds

[@kevs6402]

Great to see Alonso on the podium. GIVE US MORE!

[@Shivnandak]

Anyone who watched the sector/lap times last race knows the hype is real. The lack of tire degradation on that AM is unreal.

[@NomadUniverse]

I'm glad Toto flipped his lid last night and finally told the team to give him a different car. When your customer leaves you in the dust you are doing something wrong. They have been since they rolled out those ridiculous sidepods. I really hope they learned their lesson and the new car doesnt have them.

[@xMel21x]

Among the big teams, Aston has the most time to spend in the wind tunel. They will get better snd better during the season

[@berserksamurai]

If Alonso keeps outperforming Mercedes, I foresee Toto ditching the podless design midseason

[@01-aleriorayyaarifaisal91]

Yes

[@rodolphendessabeka8721]

I think they are doing it already. The new car will probably be introduced in early May as they will use the big space in April this year to do private tests.

[@thetravellingbloke2992]

They mentioned ytd that they are ditching the podless concept

[@zariqeezham9210]

​@@rodolphendessabeka8721 Ted said the upgrade possibly arrive at Imola, he also said expects some aggressive upgrade

[@rush8481]

There's every reason to believe AM can sustain an entire season of genuinely fighting for a podium position. They've invested in facilities, personel and a driver with the talent who can make a real difference to a race outcome. It should provide real race fans with an entertaining year and if Fernando wins a race that will be the icing on the cake.

[@kenchen704]

Ferrari didn’t need to get embarrassed because they embarrassed themselves

[@dmase9057]

Danny Ric looking validated

[@chromaticsoundco.7664]

Aston Martin doesn’t have the ego of teams like Mercedes who decide to stick to their guns with a design that fails to deliver. From the “Pink Mercedes” to the “Green Bull” at least Aston is taking ideas that seem to work even if it means abandoning a previously futile design path.

[@jerryldavis1823]

Mercedes simply can't copy redbull. They will be behind if they do so.

[@bendixonmusic7149]

This seems like a clear case of the budget cap doing what it’s supposed to do, I don’t believe there’s any chance that AM could have caught Merc and Ferrari without it

[@christianknight7120]

McLaren keeps making this big promises about the next great upgrade yet keep falling not just short but miles behind their goals. It’s time to question the entire team all the way up to Zak Brown because something is clearly not clicking, and right now they’re clear cut the 10th slowest team

[@SirBlicks]

I wasn’t paying attention for a good 5 minutes until I hear BOMBASTIC 👀💀

[@beauallen9872]

Just love to see it… Red bull have daylight between them and the rest but so good to see a new real threat to Ferrari and AMG

[@rhyswilliams4893]

Wasn't it red Bull and AM who had issues with overspend last year. Not saying it suspicious but it's a tad odd

[@richieduck67]

Great to see and well deserved McLaren need to do some serious soul searching

[@Stepica]

Super happy for Fernando, but cant help but feel a bit sad for Seb.

[@raymondu99]

Fernando - look at me. I am the major team now

[@peedless4844]

just a key person on the right spot ... everything changed for the better at AM

[@ninjabadness5068]

Aston Martin, especially Alonzo, did great at the season opener. But it's 1 race and a long season ahead. Ferrari had high hopes 2 races in last year and ummmmmm yeah.

[@karthikkulkarni9458]

Don't compare Aston Martin and Ferrari.... Ferrari are supposed to compete for titles with redbull...indeed Ferrari started bright last year and fell off...... Aston Martin plans are different... they're happy competing with Ferrari and mercedes this season.... their plan is competing next season or 2025..... imagine where they were and where they have come now......see that..... with their base concept and plenty to learn from they are this good in opening race.. couple it with extra wind tunnel time new facilities and their own wind tunnel next season and with stroll's commitment... their journey is right

[@ninjabadness5068]

@Karthik Kulkarni re-read my comment then reply. No comparison was made between AM & Ferrari. There is a full stop in my comment.

[@FreshlyFried]

imagine how well they would do if they just got rid of the boss's brat out of the other seat. Could be a true contender within years

[@greigsanderson]

Aston martin will have a lot of time in the wind tunnel this season also, due to where they finished last year.

[@VicharB]

Interesting first race with battles in the mid. Glad to see WilliamsF1 scored a point as well. Sadly RB was too quick and ahead of the rest. :p

[@shaunlevin5081]

It's honestly kinda sad because Aston and Red Bull's project kinda shows that Ferrari and Merc have the wrong concept so they now have to switch, but they probably won't be able to catch up to Red Bull by 2026. Aston is the only hope of Max not cruising to another 3 titles to me if Ferrari and Merc do change. Kinda sucks because the different side pods were pretty cool, but I guess we've figured out who was right.

[@Marc98338]

I wouldnt call Ferrari yet but indeed Merc is just holding on. Seems their diversity and inclusive hiring is working wonders.

[@OmegaF77]

@@Marc98338 You really had to bring race in huh?

[@Marc98338]

@@OmegaF77 Diversity can be about alot of things outside race. Says alot about you i guess.

[@megawave79]

Hope it can eventually win races

[@jonathancollard3710]

Call me old fashioned but I just love the fact we have “proper” car marques racing; so nice to see Aston, Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes and Alfa logos…

[@ayayoutuber]

Fernado is just best out there. car was limitation.

[@christopheroconnor4665]

Correct!

[@lavachemist]

One race at a time. Will be interesting to see what happens as Stroll heals up. If both AM cars are consistently fighting Ferrari, this will be a very interesting season!