Aston Martin unveil striking new car for F1 2022

Aston Martin have unveiled the car they hope will propel them further up Formula 1’s pecking order in 2022, as the iconic British manufacturer bids to take advantage of the sport’s huge rules reset.

The team launched their new challenger, the AMR22, at Aston Martin’s Gaydon base, with both Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll present to reveal a classic, but updated, racing green livery on a new-look 2022 car.

The car also features splashes of lime green, replacing the pink from last year.

Aston Martin are the third team to kick-off their season with a launch but their car is believed to be the closest so far to being the finished product.

They will also complete a shakedown at Silverstone on Friday, giving fans a first glimpse of F1’s new cars, which have been built to the technical regulations aimed at improving wheel-to-wheel racing and overtaking.

After finishing a disappointing seventh last year, their first season back in F1 following a 60-year absence, Aston Martin will be desperate for their AMR22 to compete further towards the front.

Vettel, the four-time world champion, will once again be partnered with Stroll, whose father Lawrence owns the team.

But Aston Martin have undergone big changes behind the scenes over the winter, with long-serving team boss Otmar Szafnauer having left, replaced by former BMW and Porsche man 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.”

More to follow.

What are the changes for F1 2022?

The rule changes, which have been long in the making and were initially planned for 2021 before being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, mean we have a completely new generation of cars, aimed at improving wheel-to-wheel racing.

The concept is, in essence, a simplified yet striking new-look race car following a drastic aerodynamics overhaul.

The key changes are:

A ground-effect floor. The 2022 car has two long underfloor tunnels which create a ‘ground effect’ – meaning there is more suction under the car to pull it to the tarmac, while also ensuring more of the downforce is generated from under the car. The concept was popular back in the 1970s and ’80s in F1.
A simplified front wing and a sharp new rear wing. These not only look great, but the completely new parts on the 2022 cars have been designed to stop sending airflow outwards, narrowing it instead. The curved rear wing still has DRS, although it may be less impactful.
18-inch tyres with wheel winglets. Another throwback addition, the bigger tyres are aesthetically pleasing while they should also improve the handling of the cars. The winglets have been added to help direct air away from the rear wing.

What will the changes do?

The new cars do not just look a lot different, but they should have a marked effect on the on-track product, with more exciting and competitive wheel-to-wheel racing the expectation.

They are designed with a focus on shifting the aerodynamic focus from the wings to underneath the car, making it easier to follow the car in front, and thus improve racing.

F1’s estimations are that the 2021 cars lost 35 per cent of their downforce within three car lengths of the car in front and almost 50 per cent in a single car length. You may have heard the words ‘dirty air’.

The new cars? They claim to drop those numbers to just four and 18 per cent respectively.

“They’re relying a lot more on air passing underneath the car very quickly which sucks the car down onto the ground, and gives what we like to call ground effect,” said Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz.

“You’ve created a vacuum,” added Anthony Davidson. “There’s suction to the ground, and you’re relying less on the wings to give you rear grip, and more on the floor.”