Alonso and Stroll in Aston Martin Silverstone track debut as AMR23 gets first proper run-out

Aston Martin

Alonso and Stroll in 'special' Silverstone debut for Aston Martin

The Aston Martin challenger for 2023 was taken out for the first time by the drivers

Stuart Hodge

Wednesday 15 February 2023 19:56

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Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completed their first laps in the AMR23 for Aston Martin on Wednesday.

The pair raced around Silverstone getting a feel for the new car which was launched on Monday, with Alonso particularly glad to put in some laps with his new team in their 2023 challenger.

Enjoy that, @alo_oficial? ?#AMR23 pic.twitter.com/tSz7XONWal
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) February 15, 2023

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Lance Stroll, entering his fifth season with Aston Martin (the first two as Racing Point) spoke after the session about the energy the team had felt on the filming day.

“Taking the AMR23 out for the very first time was a special moment and the car felt good," said Stroll following the session.

“Everything was working as expected and running smoothly which is the most important thing as we prepare for the upcoming test in Bahrain.

“We know there is always plenty to be learnt at the start of the year, but we made a strong start this morning and I really enjoyed being back behind the wheel.

“There’s nothing quite like putting your right foot down in a brand new Formula 1 car after a long winter break!”

Alonso: Nice to be back and the feel the speed of an F1 car

Alonso, now 41 and preparing for a 21st season in F1, was glad to get his hands on his machinery for the upcoming season as the team attempts to improve on the 55 points it achieved last season in 2023.

“It was a good day and I enjoyed getting to drive the AMR23 for the very first time,” Alonso said.

“It’s nice to be back and feel the speed of a Formula 1 car after some time away from it. We completed lots of things today because it’s a filming day and we got through our plan smoothly.

“We only have to wait until testing next week and we will get to know our car better there and understand more of where the competition is after the winter.

“We only have one and a half days each to get up to speed with everything in Bahrain, so we have to maximise the time we have with the car.”