Aston Martin's technical director Dan Fallows has insisted that the team's focus for 2024 is beating Red Bull, insisting that the reigning champions are far from infallible.
Red Bull took 21 out of 22 possible victories last season, losing out only in Singapore to the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz - with Max Verstappen claiming 19 of those wins for himself.
Aston Martin, on the other hand, made huge gains in 2023 and found themselves as one of Red Bull's main competitors for race wins and podiums, particularly at the start of the season.
Although the team are yet to claim a race win since they entered the sport in 2021, in two-time world champion Fernando Alonso they have a driver that can help them to achieve that goal, if their new 2024 car can make yet more gains on their rivals.
Red Bull there for the taking?
Red Bull still have to be seen as the firm favourites for the constructors' championship title in the upcoming season, but confusion around the future of their team principal Christian Horner could lead to a slow start for the world champions.
Horner is currently being investigated by his team for 'inappropriate behaviour', with the hearing potentially set to last until at least the first race of the season in Bahrain.
Speaking at the Silverstone-based team's car launch, Fallows said Aston Martin have their sights firmly set on challenging Red Bull.
“We assume that Red Bull can absolutely be beaten," he bullishly told the audience. "This is what we are looking for. We focus on them and that’s what we’re aiming for.
“The team with the fastest car is our target. From a technical point of view, we need to make a car that can run on any circuit and be competitive.
"We are very happy with the progress made over the winter, we think we have taken a step forward compared to last year's car, which is what we wanted."