Aston Martin has unveiled its 2022 contender car as the British manufacturer holds out hope for improvement this season in line with the sport’s huge rule changes.
The team launched their new challenger, the AMR22, at the Aston Martin base in Gaydon, with Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll in attendance to reveal the stunning updated livery for the year ahead.
Alongside the classic design, the car also features accents of lime green, in place of the pink from last year.
The team also completed a shakedown at Silverstone on Friday, allowing fans the first look at F1’s new cars – built to the specific technical regulations that have been brought in to allow for closer wheel-to-wheel racing and overtaking.
Four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel, will once again team up with Lance Stroll as the team works to improve on their 2021 results.
Since the season’s end, Aston Martin has undergone big changes behind closed doors, after team boss Otmar Szafnauer opted to leave the team – and was swiftly replaced by former BMW and Porsche’s Mike Krack.
“We are continuing our journey to the summit of Formula 1,” said team owner Lawrence Stroll.
“And we want to win. But we know that winning isn’t easy, and that’s why we have a five-year plan to keep climbing and to get to the top.”
Vettel added: “Look at that car, who wouldn’t feel excited about the prospect of racing that?
“And when it comes to hopes for the season, I do not think anyone really knows what to expect.
“There are new rules and of course, all the teams will be hoping that they have got it right. Everyone wants to win, me included, and no one would be in Formula 1 if their dream was not to win. I am no different.
“The main thing is to keep moving forward and moving up. This is only year two of a five-year plan, so we are still quite near the start. But this team has big ambitions and big plans, and I am hugely excited to be a part of that.”
They said designing a car to the sweeping new regulations was as “exciting” as it was “nerve-wracking”.
Speaking about the journey, technical chief Andrew Green said: “This is the first iteration.
“We’re on a steep learning curve and everyone’s on a steep learning curve – no one’s going to have all the answers yet.
“I think we’re going to see this car develop highly over the coming season.”
Pre-season test icks off on February 23-25, with the first race of the season happening on March 20 in Bahrain.
Vettel went on to say “It’s a complete reset. We’ll see how good we are.
“The rules were made to bring the cars together, to allow overtaking, and there are a lot of question marks over whether that will go as planned, or not. We’ll see what the spread will be like between the cars.
“But it’s a very different season for all those reasons and also, we’ll be able to develop through the season.”
