Led by double world champion Fernando Alonso, the Silverstone team currently sits second in the constructors’ championship behind Red Bull after the first five rounds of the season.
But whereas the Milton Keynes squad has excelled so far largely due to its powerful DRS and aerodynamic efficiency, GPS data reveals Aston Martin to have impressive braking and low-speed traction. It is therefore expected to be in contention for victory this weekend.
PLUS: The factors for and against a Red Bull upset in F1’s Monaco GP
The team will debut its first development package this weekend, having so far relied on circuit-specific changes to its baseline design.
For Monaco, the AMR23 will sport a revised suspension configuration and tweaks to the brake duct assembly while cooling and downforce have been optimised for the tight street track.
Aston Martin has submitted to the FIA changes to the front suspension, with a section of the upper wishbone modified to improve the oncoming airflow over the rest of the car.
At the front corner, the front wheel deflector has been minorly reshaped to better interact with air coming off the front wing tip area.
Meanwhile, the rear suspension has gained revised fairings to boost the effectiveness of the corresponding brake ducts while also assisting the airflow.
These three modifications have been made to improve the overall performance of the AMR23, while a rear wing with a more aggressive set-up has been fitted to maximise downforce for Monaco.
Similarly, for the rear corner, the inlet and exit ducts of the brake duct have been adapted to the heightened cooling demands of the track.
Aston had been due to introduce the lasting performance upgrades for the Emilia Romagna GP, before it was cancelled due to extreme flooding in the region.
Ferrari has chosen to now delay its tweaks until Spain since the circuit better corresponds to simulations to help validate the new parts. By contrast, Mercedes has adopted radical changes for Monaco anyway.
But Aston has divided its revisions. Team principal Mike Krack said: "It's split a little bit.
“The Imola upgrades, the ones that make sense, we kept on the car for here.
“There were one or two bits that we bring to Barcelona, because it makes no sense to bring them here.
“It's a split approach. We will have some updates here; we will have some updates in Barcelona. And we will have some more to come after that."
On his chances of upsetting Red Bull this weekend, Alonso said: “If I tell you that I don't come here thinking that I can win the race, I will lie to you, because this is a one-off opportunity.
“We know that Monaco, Singapore, there are specific race tracks that you need to gain the confidence on the free practice, get closer and closer to the walls.
“I will attack more than any other weekend.”
