Red Bull jokes about the 2023 Aston Martin Formula 1 car turned into an accusation as Helmut Marko questioned the legality of the AMR23.
The Silverstone team arrived in Bahrain with a very strong looking car, and that proved to be the case in the first race of the season. The Red Bulls were in a league of their own on Sunday, but the third and final podium spot was taken by Fernando Alonso driving one of the green cars.
While Aston Martin have received plenty of praise for competing with – and beating – the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes, there have also been a few jokes. Christian Horner couldn't resist having a dig, while Sergio Perez was also making fun of the AMR23.
The punchline is that it bears a striking resemblance to the Red Bull car, though with a different paint job. And it just so happens that this is the first Aston Martin car into which technical director Dan Fallows has had significant input.
Fallows is one of several top designers and engineers poached from rival teams like Red Bull. But while some are only making public jokes about the Aston Martin car, Marko was happy to suggest that there might be something more fishy going on.
"It’s true that what Fallows had in his head cannot be erased," the long-serving Red Bull adviser said. "Copying the focus is not prohibited, but can you copy in such detail without having documentation of our car? We had three Red Bulls on the podium, only the last one with a different engine."
Speaking in the post-race press conference, Perez caused a lot of laughs when he declared: "It's nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium." Max Verstappen couldn't help but chuckle and even Alonso was smirking as a ripple of laughter moved across the room.
That came after Horner had made a similar comment when speaking to Sky Sports in the immediate aftermath of the race. "It was enjoyable to see Fernando up there. It gives the 40-somethings hope that there's life in the old boy yet. He raced very well, he's still so competitive," the team principal said.
"And the Aston looks a good car. Based on one race, you'd have to say they were the second strongest here. They've obviously done a good job over the winter. They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery and, you know, it's good to see the old car doing so well."
