Dan Fallows is confident Aston Martin have hit their “aggressive targets” as they look to be the most improved team on the grid.

While a lot of focus was on Red Bull following the three-day test last week, plenty of eyes were also on the Aston Martin with new driver Fernando Alonso frequently putting in impressive laps.

As the season itself drew closer and free practice got underway, the AMR23 again showed its credentials with Alonso finishing second behind only Sergio Perez in FP1 while Lance Stroll returned from a cycling injury to finish P6.

Speaking about the work done over the winter, Fallows said the team had set “aggressive targets” but had so far met them.

“We are pleased with our goal,” the former Red Bull head of aerodynamics told media including PlanetF1.com. “We targeted making a big step up on last year’s car so in terms of performance relative to that, we’re definitely happy that we have made a step towards that.

“We set aggressive targets for ourselves and we believe we’ve largely hit those. We came out of testing, believing that we do have a car that we could work with. Where we sit relative to other people, we simply don’t know.”

Alonso, famously a driver who is not afraid to say how he feels, was optimistic but wanted to dampen expectations, stating that they could not catch the top three in the space of a week.

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Having had experience at a top team in Red Bull recently, Fallows said something similar and suggested it was impossible for the midfield teams to compete “on every level” that the bigger constructors can.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have had relatively recent experience of a top team and how it operates,” Fallows said. “It’s sometimes very difficult for the midfield teams to compete on every level that the top teams have, particularly in things like facilities and tools.

“So it is incredibly important to try to focus on the strengths that you have. In the case of Aston Martin, I think some people have been there for quite a long time but the team has developed. That is a big strength of ours. We have an incredibly talented, passionate team around us.

“I think that other teams showed over the previous years that they can punch above their weight and so we need to lean on that.”

The article Dan Fallows believes Aston Martin have ‘hit aggressive targets’ for F1 2023 appeared first on Planetf1.com.