Aston Martin technical director Dan Fallows says the Silverstone-based outfit heads to Zandvoort this weekend with several upgrades in its crates that it hopes will revive the performance of its AMR23.
Aston hit the ground running at the start of the season with its 2023 ground-effects car, with Fernando Alonso scoring five podiums in the first six races.
The Spaniard also claimed a runner-up spot in Montreal, but since, Aston's AMR23 has slightly regressed, with the team falling from second to third in F1's Constructors standings as it was overhauled by Mercedes.
Taking stock of its results' year-to-date ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, Fallows highlighted the team's strong "execution" as well as its drivers' contributions.
"Our team has executed the season incredibly well so far and both our drivers have driven extremely well," said the British engineer.
"In Fernando, Lance has a team-mate who is an exceptional driver and who has shown his ability from the outset of this season.
"Considering the injuries Lance sustained from his cycling accident pre-season and his determined recovery, he’s performed very well alongside a formidable team-mate.
"Both drivers have been absolutely critical in helping us understand where the car needs to be improved."
Fallows says free practice on Friday at Zandvoort will be essential, not only to understand how the AMR23's tyres behave on short and long runs, but also to gauge the impact of the updates implemented by the team.
"We have to balance our limited practice time between understanding the behaviour of the tyres and evaluating our upgrades – and we have aerodynamic upgrades to test at Zandvoort," he added.
"To achieve this balance, we have a baseline practice programme that we run at every Grand Prix, which we adjust accordingly to allow sufficient time for aerodynamic tests."
Regarding the new components that Aston will introduce, Fallows said that there introduction is the result of the team better understanding the current weaknesses of the AMR23.
The changes will hopefully allow the team to challenge its direct rivals – Mercedes, Ferrari and also McLaren.
"We’ve been working tirelessly to develop our understanding of the AMR23," Fallows commented.
"We believe we now have a good understanding of the car’s weaknesses and we’re taking steps to address them.
"We hope that the performance of the car at Zandvoort, with our latest updates, will confirm we are heading in the right direction and help Lance and Fernando fight for points this weekend."
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