Aston Martin has revealed its 2022 Formula 1 car, as team co-owner Lawrence Stroll restated his ambition to be challenging for the championship within five years.

The AMR-22 gives some indication of how Aston’s designers have interpreted this year’s new technical regulations, with distinctive ventilation louvres, tightly-packaged engine cover and chiselled sidepods.

But Andrew Green, the team’s chief technical officer said that he expected the car to evolve throughout the season.

“What we’re seeing here is the first iteration of AMR22. Everyone will be on a steep learning curve, no-one’s got all of the answers yet so I think we’re going to see this car develop highly over the coming season.

“It’s an exciting time to be in Formula 1, also nerve-wracking.”

The 2022 Formula 1 launch season is powering ahead, with Aston Martin set to be the third team to unveil its new car, the AMR22 this afternoon.

We say third, but it’s really the second after Red Bull yesterday pulled the covers off a repainted show car, which doesn’t resemble the car that the team intends to race.

Aston Martin could decide to follow that route and keep its interpretation of F1’s new technical regulations a complete secret, or take Haas’s approach and show an early version of the real thing.

Billionaire team co-owner, Lawrence Stroll has bold ambitions to make Aston Martin a contender for the F1 championship by the middle of this decade and this is the car that will form the foundations of that goal.

Can it carry Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll further up the grid? We’ll get our first clues from the launch event.

What time is the 2022 Aston Martin AMR22 launch?

The launch starts at 2pm GMT, with the car unveiling shortly afterwards. You can watch the livestream at the top of this page.

Be it for the controversy, drama or incredible feats of racing skill show by both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, 2021 was a Formula 1 season which will forever be ranked as one of the all-time greats. A compelling championship tale which left the protagonists equal on points heading into the final race ultimately saw the Dutchman crowned in contentious circumstances. Nonetheless, his maiden title was deserved, and in securing it he became one of the youngest to ever do so. Now seems like an appropriate time then to look back on the ten youngest drivers to win the world championship, and see where Verstappen is ranked in that list.

10. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari – 2007 (28 years, 4 days)

Räikkönen overturned a 17-point deficit to win the ’07 title

Darren Heath/Getty Images

After several years of coming oh-so-close to the title at McLaren, Räikkönen finally won the championship in his debut season at Ferrari. The Finn spent the year engaged in a three-way battle with McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, and as the season approached its end, his title chances looked unlikely at best. The Scuderia man had a 17-point deficit to Hamilton coming into the penultimate round in China, and the Briton could have clinched the championship that weekend. However, the racing gods – and some poor pit strategy on Macca’s side – meant Hamilton was hung out to dry as his Bridgestone tyres were worn down to the canvas. The Brit was left with no grip, meaning as he headed into the pits the McLaren went wide and got stuck in the gravel trap. Räikkönen duly took his chance and won meaning that everything was now on the final race at Interlagos, now seven points between the leading McLaren and Ferrari, with Alonso in between.

However, mysterious mechanical gremlins at the start left Hamilton at the back. He rallied and finished seventh with with Alonso third, whilst Räikkönen was handed the win by Felipe Massa, consecutive victories meaning he dramatically won the championship– by a single point.

9. Jim Clark – Lotus – 1963 (27 years, 174 days)

Jim Clark in his Lotus at Silverstone in 1963 – the Scot won 70% of championship races that year

Bernard Cahier/Getty Images

Lotus’ most iconic driver and the standard-bearer of his generation, Jim Clark won the first of his first of two titles in dominant style. Despite retiring in the opening round that year, the Scot would go on to win four of the next five races to create an almost unassailable 20-point gap over John Surtees with just four grands prix remaining. Heading into Monza, Clark knew another race win would be enough to clinch the championship. He did so in style, winning with a 1min 35sec margin to runner-up Richie Ginther. In his fourth season in F1, Clark had given Lotus its first championship victory and won 70% of the races that year, highlighting his and his car’s sheer superiority. Imperious – and the youngest-ever to win a title at that point.

8. Jacques Villeneuve – Williams – 1997 (26 years, 200 days)

Villeneuve clinches 1997 title

Villeneuve started his career in the US and was touted for a move to F1 for several years. He finally made the switch in 1996 after he became IndyCar champion the previous year. In his debut grand prix season, he finished runner-up to Damon Hill. The following year the Canadian clinched the title on the final day following a dramatic battle with Michael Schumacher. Separated by one point, the pair engaged in a title-deciding collision. On lap 48, Villeneuve attempted to overtake Schumacher at the sharp, right-hand Dry Sac corner. Braking later than his rival, Villeneuve held the inside line and was ahead before Schumacher turned into him, causing terminal damage for the German. Villeneuve, driving a now-wounded Williams, cautiously ran to third, ceding the lead to the McLarens of Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard but doing enough to secure his maiden F1 title. Two weeks later, Schumacher was disqualified from the 1997 championship for his part in the incident.

7. Niki Lauda – Ferrari – 1975 (26 years, 197 days)

Lauda came into F1 on a wing, a prayer and a bank loan – and was champion by ’75

Grand Prix Photo

It is well known that Lauda bought his way into Formula 1 with a bank loan in 1971, however four years later he was world champion. Following a poor start to ‘75, the Austrian won his first race in the fifth round and from then on, nobody could really match the Ferrari driver. He won three of the next four races to open up his championship lead to 22 points over Carlos Reutemann, meaning it was simply a matter of time before he clinched his maiden title at the age of 26. He did so with a third in Monza, before finishing the season with a win at Watkins Glen and a 19-point gap to eventual runner-up Emerson Fittipaldi.

6. Michael Schumacher – Benetton – 1994 (25 years, 314 days)

The title contenders: Hill (left) and Schumacher

Grand Prix Photo

1994 was a traumatic year for F1, as Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna both suffered fatal crashes. It was also Schumacher’s third year in the sport and at first, it looked a forgone conclusion that he would become champion. He won six of the opening seven races but was then disqualified from the British Grand Prix for overtaking Damon Hill on the formation lap with a two-race ban to follow.

Red Bull has unveiled its 2022 Formula 1 car — the RB18 — ahead of testing later this month.

Max Verstappen will be running the No1 on his car as is his right as reigning F1 champion. Sergio Perez returns with the team after signing a further one-year deal and will be hoping to get closer to the Dutchman’s pace this season.

The car, at launch, has a distinctive low nose with a shape that’s similar to the show car, built by Formula 1 to indicate what this year’s cars might look like.

Team principal Christian Horner said that significant design changes were expected between now and the first race in Bahrain next month. “By the time we get to the first race, the car is not going to look very much like this,” said Horner. “The evolution will be very very quick as we progress through the through the season.”

Ready to send it 🔥 Bringing in a whole new era of #F1 with our fans 🤘 pic.twitter.com/jtpBptQmCJ

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 9, 2022

The 2021 champion said that entering the season as the man to beat felt no different to any other pre-season.

“[Starting the new season as world champion] doesn’t feel different,” Verstappen said at the launch. “I’m just looking forward to get back in the car asnd start driving it and see how everything is handling.

“A lot is unknown about the car. Personally, I feel good. It’s important to prepare yourself physically but win terms of the car, that’s why I think I’m also very curious to see how the cars behave on track.

“I’ll just do what I do all the time, there is no reason to suddenly be different.”

The team has also changed its name officially from Red Bull Racing Honda to Oracle Red Bull Racing. The tech company will become the team’s title sponsor for the 2022 season, with the US firm’s logos replacing the usual Red Bull sidepod design.

“Having Oracle as our title partner shows the confidence we have in their expertise and their ability to deliver a true competitive advantage,” team principal Christian Horner said of the title partnership.

Red Bull is the second ’22 car launch following Haas‘ livery reveal on a digital rendering last week. Aston Martin is the next team set to show off its new car on February 10.

The team will be aiming to add a constructors’ title to its collection which would be the first since the 2013 season.

The 2022 Formula 1 launch season is powering ahead, with Aston Martin set to be the third team to unveil its new car, the AMR22 this afternoon.

We say third, but it’s really the second after Red Bull yesterday pulled the covers off a repainted show car, which doesn’t resemble the car that the team intends to race.

Aston Martin could decide to follow that route and keep its interpretation of F1’s new technical regulations a complete secret, or take Haas’s approach and show an early version of the real thing.

Billionaire team co-owner, Lawrence Stroll has bold ambitions to make Aston Martin a contender for the F1 championship by the middle of this decade and this is the car that will form the foundations of that goal.

Can it carry Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll further up the grid? We’ll get our first clues from the launch event.

What time is the 2022 Aston Martin AMR22 launch?

The launch starts at 2pm GMT, with the car unveiling shortly afterwards. You can watch the livestream at the top of this page.