Aston Martin says the lessons derived from its campaign this year are leading the team to plan a "very aggressive development strategy" for its future AMR23.
Aston concluded its 2022 season seventh in F1's Constructors' standings, a result that reflected the Silverstone-based outfit's low-key start to its year and the lack of pace of its AMR22.
However, slowly but surely, Aston's contender gained traction thanks to the team's development programme and it became a force to reckoned with as an upper tier midfield competitor in the back half of the season.
Aston technical director Dan Fallows believes that the team's clear progress late in the season offered a clear validation, not only of its design philosophy but also if its development efforts, which has instilled confidence for 2023.
"It’s been a big factor in building our confidence for next year," Fallows said, quoted by RACER.
"We clearly started the year with a car that wasn’t where we wanted it to be and we have shown that development — particularly the second half of the season we have really demonstrated the design principles we’ve put in place and some of the philosophies we’re adopting are paying off, and are going to show dividends.
"So what we’re trying to do next year is to take a very aggressive development strategy but build on those lessons from this year."
Formula 1 teams are operating within fine margins when it comes to the development of their 2023 designs due to the constraints imposed by the sport's technical regulations.
But Fallows says that Aston's AMR23 – the first design to which he has contributed since joining Lawrence Stroll's team from Red Bull Racing – will appear "significantly different" to this year's machine.
"There is a limit to what we can do with the current rules," said Fallows.
"New cars have to pass the test of my children, so if I put them in front of my children and they say they look different then they look different.
"They always say they look the same, but within the envelope of the rules we have then yes, there are significant differences on AMR23."
Aston Martin F1 team boss Mike Krack is confident his outfit, where things have come nicely together after wholesale changes in almost every department, can uphold at the start of 2023 the momentum it showed in the latter part of 2022.
"I think it is a very impressive recovery," Krack commented. "You can clearly see the impact of people like Dan joining and others mixing with the people here already.
"I think we have a lot of momentum and you feel that spirit when you come in here. We have reason to believe we can continue on that path, so all good, really."
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