Aston Martin boss shares “nail-biting” nerves over rivals’ winter development

Aston Martin boss shares “nail-biting” nerves over rivals’ winter development

 

 

 

Aston Martin made a storming start to last season with Fernando Alonso’s podium in Bahrain.He finished on the podium for six of the first eight grands prix as Aston Martin established themselves as Red Bull’s earliest challengers, but that form fell away in the second half of the season as McLaren and Mercedes overtook, while Ferrari won a race.It has left Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack pondering what his fellow frontrunners might have in store for the 2024 season.“We’re up against formidable competitors, and the big question mark over the winter is always what kind of job other teams have done,” Krack said. “There’s a lot of nail-biting. You’re always asking yourself: ‘Have we done enough?’“Whatever happens, it always results in the same loop: if the cars roll out and we haven’t done enough, then we have to work hard to improve. “If we have done enough, then we have to work hard to improve further. “That’s the only recipe that works in Formula One.”Krack insists that Aston Martin have learned from the difficulties in the second half of last year with with AMR23.“We are not heading into 2024 with a hangover from 2023,” he said. “Quite the opposite, in fact. This season – and especially the races at the end of the season – have been very positive for us, with some really valuable learning that will carry over into the ’24 car. We’re not wrestling with any doubts.”Related Alonso and Stroll praised as ‘drivers go to media to shift blame in other teams’ Aston Martin’s 2024 F1 car launch plans revealed Krack said about Aston Martin’s loss of form last year: “For me, that period was challenging because there’s a need to understand what’s happening. “You have to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Are others improving massively? Are we not progressing enough? “You have to be honest in your assessments, ask yourself tough questions, form an understanding and then make sure everybody in the team also understands the situation, sticks together, and works through it.“I said a few times, the goal for the rest of the season was to understand the car and reverse the trend. “I thought if we could get back on the podium in the second half of the year, that would be a fantastic achievement. We did that twice – but everyone still wants more!“We did understand the car by the end of the season – but it would be wrong to say we understood absolutely everything about the AMR23. “We understood a great deal, we know what we want to do for 2024 and the direction we need to go in with next year’s car – but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to turn up at the season-opener in Bahrain next year and be fighting for the race win.”Aston Martin will again have Alonso and Lance Stroll as their drivers this year.The AMR24 will be unveiled on February 12 at Silverstone. 

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