Aston Martin took Fernando Alonso on board following the retirement of Sebastian Vettel at the end of the 2022 season. He has spearheaded the team’s success this season, and according to team principal Mike Krack, has exceeded all expectations. Krack was full of praise for his star driver as he remarked that Alonso took steps beyond his job description to help the team grow.
Apart from being extremely impressive behind the wheel of the AMR23, the Spanish driver has been an inspiration for the Silverstone-based team as a whole. His addition to the outfit has undoubtedly motivated the team to work hard, and strive for even more success in the coming months.
First half of the 2023 season 📸. Magic . @AstonMartinF1 @F1 pic.twitter.com/9sKvGQTYf9
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) August 1, 2023
Even though they are far from reaching their eventual goal of becoming a world champion, Aston Martin seems more than composed with Alonso at their helm. Most importantly, according to Krack, the team as a unit seems more determined to reach its goal than ever.
Fernando Alonso lands appraisal from Mike Krack
Krack, the Aston Martin boss was full of appraisal for Alonso. He stated that the Oviedo-born driver has integrated well into the team and is doing more than they expected him to.
Talking about this, Krack revealed as per laSexta, “Alonso has completely exceeded my expectations. And they were quite high. It’s not because of what he does on the track, I expected that, but because of how he has integrated into the team.”
What an honor to share the podium with these F1 legends. Thanks Canada🇨🇦💚. Enjoyed every single lap . #f1 #canada #montreal #astonmartin pic.twitter.com/l5ZJtNLSTS
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) June 18, 2023
“His focus, not his performance on the track, but his commitment and his desire. I knew he had the opportunity. That dedication. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Krack further added on the two-time world champion.
Unfortunately, even though Fernando Alonso managed to do the unthinkable by getting six podiums at the start of this year, things have gone downhill at Silverstone. After a strong start to the season, there appears to be cracks present at Aston Martin, which have been affecting their results as of late.
Despite Alonso’s presence, Aston Martin is in jeopardy
According to reports, the FIA has secretly banned a component used by Aston Martin during the British GP weekend. This is believed to have taken a huge toll on the team’s performances.
Furthermore, this ban is expected to change a lot of algorithms as the British team need to think twice before bringing more upgrades to their car. This as a whole has the tendency to jeopardize their goals for the rest of the year.
As things stand, Aston Martin is in P3 in the Constructors’ standings with Ferrari right behind. Now, they will need to bring massive upgrades at the end of the summer break if they want to go back to fighting for podium places once again.
