Aston Martin F1 debuted the AMR22 on February 11, at Silverstone for its first shakedown run. The limited track time allowed Aston Martin and its drivers to experience the feel of the new car and therefore new regulations. It was more akin to a warm-up lap, but it will give the team vital information on how computer simulation testing correlates to real-world testing.

Being first to hit the track running is not in any way an advantage. Because the rules are new from the ground up no one team has any idea where the other is in terms of development. However, one team will find an advantage to outfox the others. The ‘fox’ could be Mercedes, purely based on past capabilities and form.

The Aston Martin F1 shakedown run gave us the first glimpse of the new regulations in the form of the AMR22. It is certainly a more striking look. The new wing structure looks more like a parachute than the square-like tie-fighter style rear wings of past seasons.

Sebastian Vettel gave his thoughts ahead of the shakedown:

“I think this year will be a true test for us and we will see how good we are. Last year, we didn’t show anything because we didn’t focus on bringing any updates.”

“Whereas this year, it’s all about this set of regulations, this generation of cars and we will be able to show what we can produce, and we should be measured based on that.”