Can Aston Martin Outscore McLaren at Las Vegas GP to Keep Championship Ambitions Alive?

Aston Martin started the 2023 F1 season on a high after a disappointing season last year. Some pundits even advised on Aston Martin being Red Bull’s closest competitor throughout the current season. The Green team almost had double the aerodynamic testing time of Red Bull yet didn’t capitalize on it. Having lost P4 in Constructors to McLaren, let’s see if Aston Martin can outscore the Papaya team in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Strip Street Circuit is a completely new track for F1 hence there are many unknowns for the team going into the weekend. Usually at such races anything can happen, even that odd pole position by a backmarker is possible. Regardless, we’ll make an estimated guess of what the performance is going to be like for Aston Martin and McLaren based on their season and recent form. 

But what exactly happened to Aston Martin? From being the second fastest car on the grid to 5th in the constructors championship. And how did McLaren rise all of a sudden and overtake Aston Martin despite the poor start? Let’s have a look at how it all unfolded.

Aston Martin’s mid-season downfall and McLaren’s leap

After the first 6 races, everybody knew that Red Bull had the championship in their pocket. However, what came as a shock was how good Aston Martin was in the hands of Fernando Alonso, who consistently finished on the podium. The Silverstone team, however, fell back in the development race as Mercedes and Ferrari brought upgrades. To gain some momentum back, they brought a huge upgrade to the Canadian GP. 

While the team did well in Montreal, the upgrade seemed to have pushed the team a step back in terms of development. The rest of the season has been a story of getting to make the upgrades work as they intended to. A new floor was brought at the US GP but that didn’t seem to work as well. McLaren on the other hand had a dreadful start to the season. The Papaya team was easily the slowest team on the grid.

McLaren however, knew what they had incoming for the Austrian GP. The first part of a major overhaul to the MCL60 was brought at the Red Bull Ring with the second part coming in Silverstone. It was at the British GP that the MCL60 with the new upgrades showed its full potential. Ever since the team has been on a positive trajectory and is now P4 in the Constructors Championship.

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While McLaren was strong at the Brazilian GP, Aston Martin brought a revised package after sacrificing a couple of races to understand what the US GP upgrades were actually doing to the AMR23. And it paid off as both Aston Martins finished in the Top 5. But will they be able to repeat the same feat in Las Vegas and keep their hopes of P4 in the constructors alive?

Will Aston Martin be faster than McLaren at the Las Vegas Strip Street Circuit?

The Las Vegas Strip Street Circuit is a high-speed track that majorly consists of long straights and slow-speed corners. Monza is the closest track to Las Vegas in terms of characteristics. The MCL60 is known to be a draggy car that performs very well in the high-speed corner but isn’t that strong on the straight. While Aston Martin isn’t a rocket ship in a straight line itself, the upgrades brought during the later part of the season have reduced the draggy nature of the AMR23. 

Also, during the Q3 session in Brazil, when the temperatures suddenly dropped, McLaren seemed to struggle and qualified outside the Top 5. Aston Martin on the other hand excelled in those conditions. The temperature at the Las Vegas GP is expected to go as low as 5°C. Following the Brazil GP Q3 result, the Aston Martins should have an advantage in the cooler temperatures. 

Also, Oscar Piastri has been struggling in the last couple of races with Lance Stroll coming to life at the Brazilian GP in the upgraded AMR23. Although Lando Norris matched Max Verstappen’s pace for the most part in Brazil, Fernando Alonso fended off the other Red Bull for the whole of the last stint and finished on the podium. It’ll be an interesting dynamic between the MCL60 and AMR23’s performance in Las Vegas. But what are the drivers saying?

Can Fernando Alonso’s confidence double down on Lando Norris’ uncertainty about the Las Vegas GP?

Fernando Alonso earlier in the season, when McLaren started catching up to Aston Martin, advised that the Green Team would be able to keep the Papaya team behind. However, that wasn’t the case as McLaren overtook them and now has a 21-point lead in the championship. However, after the brilliant Brazilian GP, Alonso’s hopes for ending the season on a high seem to be on an upward trajectory. 

When asked about whether Aston Martin will be able to take the Brazilian GP form into the last two races, Fernando Alonso said, “I think so. At least closer to these than Mexico, that’s for sure. I think there are a couple of things that have been understood inside the team and the direction to go and we had some hopes for this race and they proved to be right. And now, why not be competitive in the last two.”

Lando Norris on the other hand wasn’t sure of what to expect from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But he was sure that the McLaren wouldn’t be as competitive as they were in Brazil. Lando Norris during Brazil’s post-race press conference, when asked about what he was expecting from the Las Vegas GP said, “No idea. I mean, I don’t think we were expecting to be as competitive here as we have been. So we’re still surprising ourselves. I gave up on guessing where we’re going to be nowadays. I mean, probably after Bahrain I didn’t want to think of where we’re going to be. But yeah, it comes and goes, you know.”

While Lando Norris is uncertain of what to expect from Las Vegas, Fernando Alonso believes in finishing the season on a high. The 21-point gap can very well be made up by Aston Martin if both its drivers perform well and outscore the McLaren. While Alonso can be expected to squeeze the maximum out of the situation, the same cannot be said about Lance Stroll.

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So coming back to whether Aston Martin can outscore McLaren in Las Vegas. Yes, they can if both drivers have a smooth weekend. But McLaren cannot be discounted, especially with Lando Norris who’s been in the form of his life in the second half. 

“The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.”