In 2023, Aston Martin had a dream start, thanks to multiple podium finishes by Fernando Alonso. However, a year later, the British racing team’s good form has significantly dwindled. Team boss Mike Krack admits he had hoped for more, even though his team is not the only one grappling with issues.
After fourteen races, the British team ranks fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, with 73 points. “If I’m honest with myself, we expected more,” Krack reviews the current situation. “We knew we were a bit behind the cars ahead of us and how difficult it is to close that gap. We haven’t succeeded yet, and as long as we don’t, we can’t be satisfied.”
Team Boss Expresses Confidence in Recent Updates
The team boss does not believe that the team’s hard work is to blame. “The updates we brought to Hungary are working,” Krack expresses some relief. Aston Martin, in fact, did not always bring working updates during the first half of the season. “Our update prior to Hungary did not yield as much as we had expected. But since these latest updates are working, I am confident to say that we are moving in the right direction. We have adopted a new approach to the car and are now making progress.”
Struggles Faced by Ferrari and Red Bull
Since 2022, the teams in Formula 1 have been racing with the current generation of ground effect cars. According to Krack, it is more challenging to add immediately effective upgrades to these cars. “In the past, updates usually worked right away. Disappointments were rare. Now, especially because the floors are so close to the ground and so unstable, it is not a given that you mount upgrades and they work immediately.”
Aston Martin is therefore not the only team struggling to find performance. “You see it all over the paddock: we, Ferrari, RB, Red Bull are struggling to add performance. Other teams, like McLaren and Mercedes, are making huge strides. It is really not easy to understand what is going on.”
Two World-Class Drivers
Krack is therefore grateful that he has two drivers who can get the best out of the AMR24. “Both Lance (Stroll) and Fernando have driven excellently this season in a car that was difficult to drive. We have two world-class drivers. We just need to give them a better car,” concludes the Aston Martin team boss.
