On 27 August 2023, Fernando Alonso steered car number 14 to second place at the Heineken Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, crossing the line behind race winner Max Verstappen and ahead of Pierre Gasly. Spark Model has captured that result in a 1:43 resin replica, one of the more sharply contextualised pieces to emerge from Aston Martin's breakthrough 2023 season.
The AMR23: Aston Martin's Ground-Effect Challenger
The AMR23 was Aston Martin's 2023 Formula 1 car, built to the ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022. It represented a significant aerodynamic step forward from its predecessor, the AMR22, and was powered by the Mercedes-AMG F1 M14 E Performance 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 hybrid unit — the same specification as the Mercedes works team. Under team principal Mike Krack, the AMR23 gave Aston Martin their most competitive season in the modern era of the sport.
Alonso at Zandvoort: A Standout Podium in 2023
The Dutch GP podium on 27 August 2023 was one of the podium finishes Alonso accumulated with Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team across the 2023 season — a return to the sharp end of the grid that few had anticipated at that scale. Zandvoort, with its banked Assen-style final sector and sell-out orange-clad crowd, provided one of the season's most atmospheric settings. The AMR23's British Racing Green base, accented with gold and lime highlights and prominent Aramco and Cognizant branding, stood out visually against the predominantly black, red and white liveries filling the rest of the grid.
Spark Model in 1:43: Resin Construction and Livery Accuracy
Spark Model is a French manufacturer with a long focus on 1:43 Formula 1 replicas. Their F1 pieces use resin construction with photo-etched detail elements, a combination that allows precise livery reproduction at this scale. This model represents the No. 14 AMR23 in its Zandvoort race specification, with the full Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant livery as run on 27 August 2023. The 1:43 format remains the standard reference scale for single-seater race car collecting.
In the Display Cabinet
This piece pairs naturally with Spark's wider 2023 season coverage — including the AMR23 in Lance Stroll's No. 18 configuration, and Alonso's earlier career replicas such as his Renault R25 from the 2005 championship or Alpine A521 from 2021. For driver-focused collections, Alonso is one of only two two-time World Champions still racing, which sustains long-term interest in race-specific pieces. For livery collectors, the British Racing Green AMR23 is one of the most visually distinctive cars of the 2023 season and sits well alongside the broader field of that year's constructors.
