F1 recap: What went well, poorly for McLaren, Aston Martin

"We made a team principal change, and a technical director and head of aero, which were effectively our three most senior positions," McLaren CEO Zak Brown said. "And what that enabled us to do was to restructure the team, empower the great talent that already existed within McLaren."

With everything moving up and to the right, McLaren's off-season goal is simple: keep the momentum moving. If it can begin 2024 the way it ended 2023, it'll be challenging Mercedes and Ferrari in no time.

Aston Martin

Team result: Fifth

Driver results: Fourth (Fernando Alonso) and tenth (Lance Stroll)

Best race result: Second (Fernando Alonso)

While McLaren started slow and finished strong, Aston Martin went on the opposite journey, opening with a bang before trailing off in the middle of the season.

But don't let Aston Martin's disappointing end fool you. Its progress this year was nothing short of remarkable. The team finished the 2022 season adrift in seventh place, with just 55 points to its name in the constructor's standings. It finished 2023 in fifth with 280.

Aston Martin's biggest catalyst this season was veteran Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. The two-time World Champion left Alpine in favor of Aston Martin on the promise of the 'project'; he saw that Aston Martin was serious about investing in technical excellence and trusted that the team could provide him with a championship-caliber car within a few seasons. While Aston Martin's 2023 vehicle wasn't quite up to that standard, it was a massive, thudding step in the right direction--one that sent shock waves throughout all of F1.

Aston Martin's 'project' is still in its early stages, so 2024 should be a key year to judge whether its on the right track. But with Alonso performing beautifully in the car, questions are being asked about the value of his teammate Lance Stroll. Stroll is a competent driver and the son of Aston Martin part-owner Lawrence Stroll, but it was his low points tally that prevented Aston Martin from beating McLaren this season. Could a driver shakeup propel Aston Martin to the top of the F1 table? That's the question its leadership team will be asking as its car continues to improve.