WATCH: Aston Martin launch the AMR24 as ‘underdogs scale a huge hill’

Thomas Maher
The logo of Aston Martin.

Aston Martin logo.

Aston Martin kicks off the second wave of F1 car launches ahead of the 2024 season when they reveal the AMR24 on Monday morning.

With five F1 car launches (or liveries, at least) having been unveiled for the 2024 season, the second batch of launches gets underway early Monday morning when Aston Martin takes the covers from their brand-new AMR24.

It’s a season in which there is heightened expectation around Aston Martin, following the dramatic step forward in 2023 that foundered as the team lost their way through the middle of the season.

Aston Martin aiming to bounce back after the 2023 season slipped away

The AMR24, which will break cover after 8am UK time via the Aston Martin F1 website and on their own social media channels, will aim to rectify some of the issues that plagued Aston Martin in 2023.

While initially a very strong competitor, perhaps only bested by Red Bull’s dominant RB19, the development path taken by Aston Martin with the car saw their competitiveness slowly but surely slip away.

Recognising the upgrades hadn’t worked, a diligent and thorough evaluation of a rollback of parts of that upgrade path resulted in some competitiveness returning by season end – but it was too late to secure a higher Constructors’ Championship finish than their eventual fifth place.

For this year, the pieces have been set up in a similar fashion. Mike Krack remains in charge of the Silverstone-based squad and leads Aston Martin into his third consecutive season, reporting to team owner Lawrence Stroll.

Having proven he’s lost none of his edge, speed, or cunning despite being the eldest driver on the grid, Fernando Alonso is aiming to build on a strong first year with Aston Martin where he remains partnered up with Lance Stroll.

Throughout the winter, the team’s message on social media has been one of ‘hyper-focus’ – a branding exercise that has been adopted across the board as the team aims to right the wrongs of 2023.

On the commercial front, Aston Martin, under the managing director of commercial Jefferson Slack, is thriving – scarcely a day has passed recently without another email pinging into the inbox of a new sponsor being signed by the team: seven sponsorship deals have been signed or renewed since the end of January.

With huge investments in infrastructure, facilities, and personnel, Aston Martin is thus one of the most exciting prospects coming into the new season.

“[The team] is growing fast,” Krack said ahead of the launch.

“It’s transforming into a bigger, more competitive organisation, capable of running at the front of the F1 grid. And this is not just about infrastructure, resources, and headcount. It’s also about mindset.

“It’s very easy to be an underdog. This team has enjoyed that status for years. It did good things with limited resources and enjoyed its occasional triumphs all the more because they were so very rare. It’s easy because there are no expectations.

“At the other end of the scale, there are serial winners in F1, and they have the hardest job because they are held to an incredibly high standard. We’re on a journey to become one of those teams, and if we’re honest, we still have a huge hill to climb. We did not record any podium finishes in 2022 but had eight last year. That provides a degree of confidence – but also raises the level of expectation. We have to learn to cope with that level of expectation, live with greater scrutiny, and stay focused.

“Creating a winning mindset starts from the top; I recognise that I have a responsibility to set a good example.

“Out on the pit wall, you’re very firmly in the public gaze and your body language affects perception. It’s important to not get too high when things are going well, or too low when they are not. Especially the latter. If the team sees me creeping around like a beaten dog, that impacts morale. When it hasn’t gone well – and sometimes it won’t – you have to square your shoulders, raise your chin, and project an attitude that says we’re going to dig ourselves out of this and fight back.”

Aston Martin will premiere their new look for the season from 8am UK time, and you can watch their reveal below.

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