In Bahrain, Aston Martin F1 showcased its prowess as the solid fifth force, aiming for higher ranks in Jeddah’s upcoming race.
Mike Krack, the director of the Silverstone-based team, does he anticipate an improvement this weekend on the Jeddah track? Is it possible to close the gap to the leading quartet?
“I really hope so. Yes, I agree that we were the fifth fastest team in Bahrain, but obviously… I said it last year as well, we need to wait a few races to truly see where we stand. I think we were quite surprised by our performance in qualifying, but we were also a bit surprised by the race. However, the standings themselves didn’t really surprise us. That’s what we were expecting.”
Strategy and Patience
“The most important thing for us was to score points with both our cars, which was initially compromised following Lance’s spin at the start, and we know how hard it is to make up ground on such a circuit. He put in a great race to secure that result.”
“It’s true that we expected more from this race. In Bahrain, it’s really all about tire management, and we did rather well in that area compared to others, but we were still somewhat isolated. So, we tried different strategies, which made us finish further back than we might have, but I think that was the right decision as it didn’t change the final outcome.”
The Luxembourger also prefers to wait before confirming the strengths and weaknesses of the new AMR24.
“We’ve only had one race, so I think we should wait a bit before talking too much about strengths and weaknesses, because Bahrain was a very special track. Here, it’s a bit the opposite in terms of characteristics, so I think we should wait a bit before identifying strengths and weaknesses.”
“We’ll do everything to keep Fernando with us”
Just leaving Alpine F1, where he was a consultant, Bob Bell has joined Aston Martin. Krack is delighted with such an addition.
“With Bob, we’re fortunate to have recruited someone with considerable technical experience and knowledge. And I think if you consider what we have to do in the coming years, we felt it was important to further strengthen our technical department. And when someone of his caliber is available, I think it’s very important to try and get him. We’re very pleased to have managed to do so and we’ll see what this will bring.”
Regarding the team’s future, it could unfold without Fernando Alonso, who has placed himself on the transfer market in case a spot becomes available at Red Bull or Mercedes F1 in 2025. Is Krack nevertheless confident of seeing the Spaniard continue with Aston Martin?
“I think Fernando has repeatedly emphasized that he first needs to be sure of himself, of what he wants to do, because he’s a driver who doesn’t just want to participate in Formula 1. When he races, he wants to be at the front. I think he’s very aware of the commitment needed for that. So, he first needs to decide if he wants to stay. And if so, we will push or do everything we can to keep him with us.”
Aston Martin Progress Jeddah. Aston Martin Progress Jeddah
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