Aston Martin Pulls The Union Jack Off Of Its 2023 Challenger, The AMR23

Monday was a busy day for car launches as McLaren unveiled the MCL60. Only a couple of hours later, Aston Martin showed off what it hopes will be a competitive car in the AMR23.

Aston Martin has a lot going on these days. Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel rode off into the sunset and was replaced by two-time champ Fernando Alonso. In addition to the change to their driver lineup, the team is also moving into a new factory this year.

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves, we're here to take a look at the new car.

Alonso and Lance Stroll were standing by when the Union Jack was pulled off their new ride.

If you're looking for a solid still-shot, I gotcha, bud.

The team's technical director, Dan Fallows, said that the AMR23 is different from the AMR22. It seems as though they've taken some inspiration from cars up and down the grid and picked features they liked.

For instance, there are some similarities in the sidepod shapes between the AMR23 and those seen on Red Bull's RB18. However, those sidepods also feature a depression like that seen on Ferrarri's SF-75 and a similar layout for the cooling louvers as the ones used by both McLaren and Haas.

Upfront, they're working with a slim, flat nose that seems to take inspiration from Mercedes.

Can Aston Martin Build On A Strong Finish In 2022?

Aston Martin was brutalized by the new regulations in 2022 for the first part of the season. However, after the summer break, they came to life. They managed to string together 55 points which tied them with Alfa Romeo. However, Alfa Romeo had a higher finish thanks to Valtteri Bottas P4 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, leaving Aston Martin at P7.

It was a disappointing year buoyed by a strong finish, however, most of the scoring came courtesy of Sebastian Vettel. He put up 37 points to Stroll's 18. That will need to change if the team wants to improve on its 2022 results.

They've brought in a strong driver in Fernando Alonso, who can still throw down impressive performances. He was one blown O-ring away from a shock pole in Australia and nabbed qualified P2 in Canada later in the season.

Stroll is in a comfy spot considering his old man owns the team, but he needs to start showing up if the team wants to be a legitimate contender. I'm not convinced a car can solve this problem, as this was an issue for Stroll behind arguably the most competitive car he has ever had, the RP20 during the 2020 season when the team was known as Racing Point.

It'll also be interesting to see how Alonso handles being teammates with the boss' kid. His relationship with Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon ended acrimoniously.

We've already seen the two come together after Alonso was announced as the team's new driver when they collided at the United States Grand Prix in October.

I think Aston Martin should consider any midfield finish a success. That won't be easy as Haas, Alpha Tauri, and even Williams will likely be chasing them down all year.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle