The years go by and the speeches are similar at Aston Martin. From time to time, Mike Krack allows himself a little outing in the media in order to defend his driver, Lance Stroll, regularly criticized for his disappointing sporting performances but also for his involvement – or rather, the lack of it – in front of journalists and cameras . Indeed, in addition to having had a desperate season (24 points, 13th in the championship), the Canadian is not the most talkative character, nor the most jovial when it comes to speaking in front of the press. A withdrawn character which questions his motivation for being in Formula 1, a feeling reinforced after his blunder at the Brazilian Grand Prix where the 26-year-old driver landed alone in the gravel trap on the formation lap.
Criticisms which come in addition to those – already present for a long time – of the filiation between Lance Stroll and his father, Lawrence Stroll, who is none other than owner of Aston Martin and therefore of the British team. But according to Mike Krack, all these criticisms are unjustified and the Canadian is “treated unfairly” by the media and sporting actors of Formula 1. The Aston Martin Team Principal still affirms that the gap between Lance Stroll and his teammate Fernando Alonso is “very weak”despite the large domination of the Spaniard in 2024 (70 to 24 in terms of points, 19 to 5 in the qualifying duel).
« First of all, if you look at the gap he has with his teammate, who is one of the best of all time, it is very small. We have someone who is very serious about car development, simulator driving, fitness and constructive spirit in meetings, assures the Luxembourger to Crash.net, who believes that Lance Stroll is first judged on his performances off the track than on the circuit. He is judged primarily on how he carries out his media duties. He's a racing driver and for me, a racing driver must first drive. We also know that Formula 1 has evolved, that there is a lot of exposure, duties and media commitments. I think that's something that people really emphasize. »
Stroll “loves driving” in Formula 1, assures Krack
Asked about Lance Stroll's motivation and passion for Formula 1, which does not seem that obvious in public, Mike Krack retorts by affirming that the Canadian is ” absolutely “ passionate about his activity with Aston Martin. “ When we had the three week break [durant l’automne]Lance called me to ask if we could organize a day of driving around in an old car, because he wants to drive. That's all the difference. It's a sport where there are no tests and we have someone who likes to drive, underlines the leader of the British team. It's very unfair when you read some comments and they are often written without much research, because it suits public opinion, to fill a few lines. The image is really distorted. This is the case in all sports: there are bad guys, good guys, drawers to fill, and Formula 1 is the same. »
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