Spa : Team principal of Aston Martin F1, Mike Krack, has apologised to Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll over their recent slump but is confident the team have identified their car’s main weaknesses. In a recent interview, he said that "I’m very confident, you always need a little bit more data to see where you are because it’s also a relative game."
After a strong start to the season, with the team claiming six podiums in eight races, recent performances have shown a regression in form. However, with a P5 finish for Alonso and P9 for Stroll at the Belgian Grand Prix, there is a sense that Aston Martin is now understanding where that downturn has come from.
Alonso himself declared the team were back in the mix following that result in Spa, which helped the Silverstone-based outfit keep hold of third in the constructors’ championship going into the summer break.
According to the Formula 1 website, Team Principal of Aston Martin Mike Krack said, “I’m very confident because, over the last three or four events, you always need a little bit more data to see where you are because it’s also a relative game."
He added, “Other competitors are also changing their cars, so you’re always chasing a moveable target. But, at the end of the day, we are quite confident we have identified the main weaknesses and now it is about trying to solve them, and not trying to introduce others.”
Krack was also full of praise for the team’s two drivers, with the pair frequently showing a united front throughout the course of this season.
That attitude has helped the team understand where the dip in form has come from, although Krack did offer his own apology to the pair that the front-running car they had become used to slipped back down the pecking order.
51-year-old Mike Krack said, “It’s great to have Fernando but it’s also great to have Lance in this context,” Krack explained. “We are fortunate that both drivers have a very open dialogue, they exchange lots about their feelings about the car or about their thoughts."
He further stated, “They often come into the debriefs or into the meetings with a consolidated opinion, which is very good for us because then you do not have to try and get into two development directions, but only take one. So we are quite happy with the way it has evolved over the last races."
“The drivers, I have to say credit to both of them because it was a difficult situation when you are used to having a front-running car and then you start to slip back a little bit. It’s easy to get destructive and it happened exactly the opposite so I’m really happy with the way that this has evolved," said Krack.
“I’m really sorry for our drivers that we have not maybe managed to keep up there but, rest assured, we will try everything to come back.”
While concluding Mike Krack said, “We do not need to see the competitors to see the motivation,” Krack added. “I think, when we see what we have achieved in the beginning – you know everybody wants the podiums – and this is the biggest motivation. It is not about the development of others, it is about this desire to do well and the desire to get back to the front. Together with our drivers, we try everything because we want more of these.” (ANI)
