After switching from Alpine, Alonso's 2023 got off to a positive start with six podiums in the opening eight races, as Aston was transformed into Red Bull's regular closest rival with its work on the downwash car concept over the winter.
As Mercedes and Ferrari initially ploughed on with their respective 'zeropod' and inwash 'bathtub' approaches to upper aerodynamic car surfaces, they then made the call to head down the downwash route a year after Aston had done so early in the 2022 campaign.
