Aston Martin may plan their first ‘big upgrade’ on THIS track

Aston Martin made waves across the F1 world after beating Mercedes and Ferrari in the season opener. Despite a podium finish in Bahrain, the British team is not basking in its glory and is reportedly working on upgrades for the AMR23.

According to reports by AMuS, Aston Martin will introduce major upgrades for its 2023 challenger at Imola. The team will also introduce smaller upgrades in the upcoming races. With these upgrades, the team hopes to close the gap to Red Bull. The team's aggressive development strategy includes plans to upgrade up to two-thirds of the car throughout the season.

The Silverstone-based team successfully managed to breach the gap to the front runners in Bahrain, leap-frogging their midfield rivals. The AMR23 delivered on its pre-season hype, with Fernando Alonso displaying solid race pace. The Spaniard comfortably overtook Mercedes and Ferrari to finish on the podium.

Team principal Mike Krack admitted that a complete reset in their design philosophy and their learnings from the previous season laid a solid foundation for their 2023 car. He said (as quoted by Sports Illustrated):

"We are starting with a good foundation. This is particularly important under the rules for the budget cap. If you have to sort out problems first, it hits you hard."

Fernando Alonso has found a new home in Aston Martin, as his ambitions seem to be in line with his team. The 41-year-old has reiterated his praise for the organization's philosophy on many occasions.

Speaking about his new team, Alonso said:

"The important point is the new Aston Martin is a new car, a new project – this is just the beginning. This is just a starting point, not the finished car."

The two-time world champion admitted that the team is still in its the development stage and has much higher potential. He added:

"For us, there is much more to learn from the car and more to come on our side. I’ve got full trust in our team, they know what to do, so hopefully we can improve."

The Silverstone outfit finished the Bahrain GP second in the constructor's standings, ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari.

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Aston Martin team boss responds to Christian Horner's comments

In the season opener in Bahrain, Red Bull's top bosses and drivers didn't miss an opportunity to bring up the similarity between the AMR23 and the RB19.

Speaking to Sky Sports, team principal Christian Horner said:

"They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery and, you know, it's good to see the old car doing so well."

Sergio Perez jokingly said in the post-race press conference:

"It's nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium."

While Red Bull is trying to play mind games, the Aston Martin team principal refused to get involved in the "war of words." Mike Krack had a calm response:

"We always decided we will not go into any war of words."