Aston's AMR22 hits the track at Silverstone

©AstonMartin

The Aston Martin team rolled out its all-new AMR22 this morning at Silverstone for a shakedown run and system check conducted by Lance Stroll.

On Thursday, the British outfit became the first F1 team to unveil a real 2022-spec car, and it has remained ahead of its rivals by sending its new contender out on track first.

The AMR22 already looked stunning at its launch yesterday at Aston's headquarters at Gaydon. But it definitely looks even more striking in broad daylight!

"What we wanted to do was shakedown as early as possible to check all the systems and that on the car," commented AM CTO Andy Green at yesterday's launch.

"That gives us some time between shakedown and the Barcelona test. That was the reason for shaking down on Friday, so we have time to react.

"Hopefully we have a good shakedown and there's nothing to react to. But because the car is absolutely brand new, with no carryover at all, and pre-season testing is really short, and the second test is so close to the first race, that it's going to be almost impossible to react to, we thought it's good to get a shakedown in prior to the first test.

"It gives ourselves a good gap between the shakedown and the first test to react to."

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.