Aston Martin F1 is experiencing a very difficult end to the season. Fernando Alonso was hampered by health problems, while Lance Stroll made a huge mistake in the race in Brazil, and both drivers also crashed their cars in qualifying.
Asked to take stock of the hat-trick of races at Austin, Mexico and Interlagos, team principal Mike Krack admits that the three rounds were complicated for the Silverstone team, which did not score a single point.
“A trip to Interlagos, to a special place for motorsport, but a weekend to forget for our team. A scoreless and brutal hat-trick of races which has consequences for the team working at the trackside and at the factory” regrets Krack.
“Looking for the positives, it was a herculean effort from both racing teams, with tight timing, to get both cars onto the grid just in time. Special mention also to the FIA and F1 for having “We have been pragmatic and flexible with the schedule to allow the drivers and teams to put on a show for the passionate fans in South America.”
“On the formation lap there appeared to be a problem with Lance's car under braking, he managed to restart but the AMR24 ran aground in the gravel, ending his day prematurely. We will need to investigate further about what happened, but it was unexpected.”
“Fernando was in the points for most of the race, but he also blocked the rear and was relegated to the back of the field. He was very uncomfortable late in the race on the bumpy track , so our priority is to make sure he's okay.”
Krack insists the team, not its drivers, is to blame for the situation: “After our recent run of performances we have to take responsibility for not giving Lance and Fernando the car they deserve. They are very patient but we are asking too much of them at the moment.”
