Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack says it’s important that the team does not take its newfound status as a regular podium finisher for granted after Fernando Alonso earned his fourth in five races at the Miami Grand Prix last weekend.
Aston Martin’s rise has been one of the big stories of the Formula 1 season so far. The team finished seventh in the constructors’ standings last year with a pair of sixth places as its best race results, but this year’s AMR23 came charging out of the blocks to establish the team as best of the rest behind the dominant Red Bull Racing.
Alonso started from second and finished third behind the two Red Bull drivers in Miami, comfortably easing away from any threat from the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari behind. The Spaniard is currently third in the drivers’ championship — the only race to date where he didn’t score a podium was Baku, where he still finished fourth — but Krack says the latest trophy still feels special.
“Feet on the ground,” Krack said. “You should never take a podium in F1 as a normal, or as a given, because it’s a lot of hard work involved to be on the podium, and you have very, very strong competitors in F1, very professional. If you are not 100% in all areas at all times, then there is no podium.”
Aston Martin’s rise comes at a time when the form of Mercedes, Ferrari and Alpine has fluctuated. Krack says the early success is a sign of the team’s development during the winter, but points out it has also made errors.
“It shows we are a strong team,” he said. “It shows that we are not taking gambles, we are not playing the lottery, but we are making choices based on data, based on the results we have. That is also one of the reasons why we can be as consistent. But we made quite a big mistake (not sending Lance Stroll out for a second Q1 run in qualifying), so we have been fault-free until then…”
According to Krack, Aston Martin’s early-season consistency leaves him with fewer question marks over the car’s potential at certain tracks.
“I think Monza and Las Vegas. Spa, maybe,” he said. “But there is still time until then, so we can do some development. As a team it’s good; you need to learn how your car behaves, how your car is compared to the competition. We hear left and right that Mercedes will have big steps coming, so we must not let up, but we must not focus on a single race, like Monza or whatever. We’ll take them as they come and try to do the best.”
