Aston Martin 2022 season review: in progress
In its second season since returning to Formula 1, Aston Martin has impressed with its ability to bounce back from a complicated situation. After a difficult start to the season, the British team managed to return to the front of the midfield in the final races.
During the winter break, Aston Martin is the first team to physically unveil its race car. An encouraging speech is given about the team’s development, and the momentum seems positive for a team that greatly disappointed in 2021.
Performance of the single-seater car
The first races are not easy for the English team, struggling to understand the concept of their new car. Nico Hülkenberg replaces Sebastian Vettel at short notice for the first two races of the season and immediately outperforms Lance Stroll. The team’s first points only come in the 4th Grand Prix, with both English cars finishing in the top 10 at Imola. However, the two team drivers struggle to score points in this first part of the season, as the AMR22 cannot compete with the higher end of the midfield.
The second part of the season is much more successful, thanks to the intensive development of the team, which allows for many improvements. Stroll and Vettel can now join the battle between McLaren and Alpine. Aston Martin has clearly established itself as the 6th force on the grid.
Reliability: 2 DNFs due to mechanical failures.
Many reliability-related retirements have tarnished the financial performance of certain teams in 2022. However, this is not the case for Aston Martin. The AMR22 is powered by a Mercedes engine that has proven to be highly reliable throughout the season, with only 2 retirements due to engine problems. The English team is one of the teams with the fewest retirements due to mechanical issues in 2022.
Optimization of strategy
Aston Martin had to bounce back after a complicated 2021 season in terms of on-track strategy. Unfortunately, the beginning of the season with an underperforming car complicates the team’s task as they cannot really take bold risks to earn points. The situation unlocks in the second half of the championship when the team catches up to Alpine and McLaren. The strategic decisions then prove to be crucial.
Aston Martin leverages the best of racing situations in Japan and Singapore to score a lot of points in the constructor championship. However, the English team lacks consistency, as they failed to optimize Vettel’s strategy in the last Grand Prix and ended up tied on points with Alfa Romeo for 6th place in the constructor championship.
Teammate’s duel
For its second full season in Formula 1, Aston Martin fields an experienced lineup. Sebastian Vettel, a four-time world champion, is alongside Lance Stroll, who is participating in his 6th season in the premier discipline. The German champion does not compete in the first two races of the season due to health reasons, with Nico Hülkenberg filling in for him. Lance Stroll struggles and fails to score any points in these Grand Prix races. Sebastian Vettel will dominate his teammate upon returning to the race, earning the team’s first points by finishing in 8th place at Imola. His teammate finishes in 10th place in this event.
Qualifications out of 20 GP:
Vettel 13 – 7 Stroll
Race on 20 GP:
Vettel 10 – 10 Stroll
The two drivers both finished in 6th place in a Grand Prix for their best result of the season. However, Sebastian Vettel completely dominated the Canadian driver by scoring 37 points this season compared to his teammate’s 18. The German champion also had the upper hand over his teammate in qualifying, with 5 starts from the top 10 positions compared to Lance Stroll’s 2.
