Aston to shake down AMR22 at Silverstone on Friday

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Not content with being the first F1 team to unveil a legitimate 2022 car during presentation season, Aston Martin will also be the first outfit to take to the track with its all-new contender.

The Silverstone-based team presented its AMR22 on Thursday at Aston Martin Lagonda's Gaydon headquarters.

And the team will use the first of its two permitted filming days during the season as soon as Friday morning, with Aston indulging in a 100-km run, the FIA-authorized limit, with its new car.

"We’re shaking down tomorrow and really what we wanted to do is shakedown as early as possible to check the systems out on the car and give us some time between shakedown and the Barcelona test," explained Aston Martin’s Chief Technical Officer Andy Green.

"So that is the reason for shaking down tomorrow, so we have time to react.

"Hopefully we’ll have a good shakedown tomorrow and there’s nothing to react to."

Read also: Aston's Green sees DRS impact reduced with 2022 cars

Green didn't specify who would be driving the car on Friday, but the Aston engineer emphasized the importance of swiftly conducting a systems check given that it's working – like all teams – to a very tight schedule between now and the start of the season in Bahrain on March 20.

Teams have been allocated three days of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on February 23-25 and then another three-day session at Sakhir on March 10-12.

"The the car is absolutely brand new with no carry over 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 going to be good to get a shakedown in before the first test," added Green.

"That’s where we came to with the shakedown date, and it just made sense to launch the day before. We have the car, the car’s effectively ready, so that was the logic behind it."

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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.