Established order
With the sole exception of the 2020 season, in which Ferrari even finished sixth in the Constructors’ standings, the last few years in the history of Formula 1 have had one great certainty. The dominance of three teams – Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari – over the rest of the starting grid. From 2016 onwards, only in the year of the pandemic, was a team, in that case McLaren, able to enter one of the steps of the World Championship podium reserved for teams. An unshakeable domain based on the economic, technological and political supremacy of the ‘three sisters’ which appeared totally unapproachable for all the other teams on the grid.
Aston Martin surprise
The premises for this 2023 season were no different. The pre-season tests in Bahrain were eagerly awaited by everyone to understand how the values of the single-seaters had changed compared to the end of last championship, but one certainty was considered unshakeable by insiders: the three top teams would play the role of favorites to the title and the other seven teams would fight for the platonic ‘first of the rest’ title. The impressive performances glimpsed by Aston Martin – especially with Fernando Alonso – on the race pace, however, have cracked some certainty in this apparently untouchable axiom. Also because, among the big names, Mercedes did not appear particularly competitive in the Sakhir long runs.
The complete racing sim of #Alonso today is something SCARY! Here it is compared with #Perez yesterday morning (obviously very different track conditions, but petrol is the same). Zero degradation, and times go down thanks to weight loss. #AstonMartin looks remarkable! #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/e6zxA9zsM1
— Federico Albano (@Fred__18) February 25, 2023
Second force
Obviously the tests leave by definition a certain margin of error in the analysis of the performances. No one can know for sure the work done by the other teams, nor can it be ruled out that someone has decided to play hide and seek in order not to show their real potential. However, Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, let slip a statement, collected by the German site Auto Motor und Sportwhich well describes the worries that are being experienced in Brackley on the one hand and the surprise that Aston Martin’s results aroused on the other. “According to our calculations, Aston Martin could finish in second place“said the Austrian manager. A sort of indirect warning also to Ferrari, in view of a GP in Bahrain which, on paper, should be a two-way deal between the Milton Keynes and Maranello teams. Fernando Alonso permitting.
#Wolff #warns #Ferrari #Aston #Martin #force #FormulaPassion.it