Fernando Alonso, driver of the Aston Martin F1 team, participated in the Japanese Grand Prix on April 7, 2024, as part of the Formula 1 World Championship. The head of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, Mike Krack, believes that the team has made significant improvements in their performance since the last race.
At the beginning of the previous season, Aston Martin was the closest competitor to Red Bull. However, their performance declined over time, and they ended up in fifth place in the Constructors’ standings. This season, Aston Martin has taken a more aggressive approach to development, and Krack is confident that they are now in a more competitive position.
Although Alonso feels that he exceeded the potential of the AMR24 car by securing fifth place in Suzuka, Krack believes that Aston Martin is no longer at a disadvantage. He mentioned that the race in Japan showed that it is possible to overtake in unexpected places, although he did not know that this could be done through the Esses. Krack also pointed out that Aston Martin was ahead of Mercedes, which is a positive sign. However, he acknowledged that this is just one race and they need to confirm their performance in the upcoming races.
Lance Stroll, Alonso’s teammate, struggled throughout the weekend and ended up being eliminated in Q1, finishing seven positions behind Alonso. Krack emphasized that it is too early to draw conclusions about the team’s progress after just one race with the new updates. They are analyzing the data and trying to understand the impact of the changes they made. Krack mentioned that the cars are complex and it takes time to fully comprehend the effects of the modifications. Additionally, the missed session on Friday (FP2) made it more challenging for the team. They are still gathering all the numbers to determine how much progress they have made and what the next steps should be.
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