Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is asking “When are we going to win?” after the big gains in 2023.
The Silverstone-based outfit has been the revelation of this season, jumping from the midfield pack to battle Mercedes and Ferrari for the second-best team.
New arrival Fernando Alonso has led that charge, scoring podiums at each of the first three races, but team principal Mike Krack admits his boss isn’t satisfied yet.
“Well, it’s quite easy, Lawrence’s mission statement is very clear. He has not had any delay in telling us ‘When are we going to win?’,” he told PlanetF1.
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“Obviously, he’s happy that we have made a step, but this is not enough for his ambitions. The good thing is with Lawrence you know where you’re standing. He wants more, and we will have to deliver more.”
The Aston Martin chief though is remaining “realistic” about the team’s chances this season, admitting it is unlikely they can close the current gap to the leading Red Bulls.
“There is a difference between confidence and arrogance,” Krack told Auto Motor und Sport. “We are substantially behind Red Bull. Even if they stood still, the gap would be too big to catch up with them in one season.
“Of course, we take the fastest car as a reference. We just don’t go crazy and constantly look at the distances with respect to Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine.
“We have to be realistic. We have to look up, but we also have to look at third and fourth place. Things can change very quickly in the championship.
“We are not far ahead of Mercedes. As a team, you can quickly drop down the leaderboard.”
One thing Aston does have in abundance though is motivation, led by Alonso himself.
“Fernando infects everyone in the team with his enthusiasm and seemingly inexhaustible energy,” Krack told SpeedWeek.
“He is truly fascinating to work with, he sweeps us all away like a powerful wave. You just have to listen to his comments on the radio. They are proof of his enthusiasm.
“Fernando is a wonderful motivator and inspires the team to do everything for him and with him.”
