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Mike Krack of Aston Martin has spoken about Fernando Alonso’s P3 finish in Bahrain, but warned that the difference between them and Red Bull is “still substantial”.
The Bahrain Grand Prix kicked of the 2023 season. Many were excited to see whether Aston Martin’s pre-season testing pace would be replicated during the race.
Fortunately for the British team, it was. Aston Martin had both drivers finish inside the top 10 with Fernando Alonso taking his 99th career podium in a P3-finish.
Since the Bahrain Grand Prix, Alonso has warned Aston Martin that they can’t get their hopes up too high. He said it will all depend on the next couple of races and if the team do well in Jeddah and Melbourne, then they can continue the optimism.
Christian Horner has also spoken out on Aston Martin’s performance. The Red Bull Team Principal has said that “imitation is the biggest form of flattery” as many have noted the similarities between the RB19 and the AMR23.
But now, Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s Team Principal, has spoken on the team’s performance.
Krack’s wariness
Speaking on the gap to Red Bull, Krack said:
“I think the gap is still substantial. We don’t know how much management that Red Bull had to do and did.
“I think it was quite comfortable for them to just get the mandatory tyres through and cruise the race to the end. So I think we have now one good result, we have improved our car.”
Krack continued explaining that this position is not the norm for Aston Martin. They currently sit second in the Constructors’ Championship, whereas last year they finished in P7 with 55 points. Krack noted this saying:
“But we are fighting here with teams that are used to drive on the front, they are very used to high intensity development. So I think let’s be respectful and humble, and see how it continues.”
Much like Alonso, Krack is wary of reality setting back in if the team have reached their peak already. He said they “must not lose the ground under our feet and dream about podiums straight away.
“We knew that we were not bad. We knew that we had a strong race pace.
“But so many things could go wrong. And after two laps, and I was not dreaming about the podium, to be very honest with you.”
In the Bahrain Grand Prix, Lance Stroll was still suffering from his injuries after his accident in Spain. He recently revealed the extent of his injuries and it’s impressive he was able to drive the race. The opening lap also saw Stroll and Alonso make contact. But fortunately for Aston Martin, both drivers were able to continue the Grand Prix.
Krack said that during the race, you just have to see how it unfolds and “just focus on your job.” He added that Aston Martin has the “attrition of Charles [Leclerc], which we shouldn’t forget. So all in all, I think you can dream about podiums. But you should not believe that.”
The future of Aston Martin
When speaking on the team as a whole, Krack acknowledged that Aston Martin is Team Silverstone. The Team Principal said: “Team Silverstone is a very experienced team with a lot of fantastic people that have done that already.
“I think we clearly saw it today, with the race strategy. The team did not get carried away by stopping early, by trying to undercut, but by sticking to its plan, and the tyre advantage that was built-in at the end of the day, was I think, instrumental also to help to pass. And so I think we continue to try to do our best there.”
Krack did note that the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend was a “very intense first weekend”. However, now Aston Martin have “better references” than those they had prior to the weekend.
He continued saying the team need to analyse properly and that they need to “keep the feet on the ground” to continue improving. Speaking on the next race, Krack said:
“Let’s work hard, because it could be that in Jeddah we may be fourth or fifth or sixth or so, in terms of team ranking. So I think let’s enjoy today, and we continue to see how it goes on.”
So far, 2023 has shown Red Bull’s dominance once again. However, with Aston Martin taking a step up it could be a three-way fight for second in the championship, or maybe even the RB19 vs the AMR23 for first.
The next round is in Jeddah next weekend for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Who will come out on top?
Headline Image Credit: GettyImages
