"We have to be ready" - Aston Martin brings major upgrade to Spanish Grand Prix
Aston Martin has brought their first major upgrade of the 2023 Formula 1 season to the Spanish Grand Prix, but team boss Mike Krack says any gains will be relative to the rest of the field.
Team boss Mike Krack explains Aston Martin’s first major upgrade of the 2023 Formula 1 season. (Aston Martin F1)
The team used Friday’s first free practice session as a test session with aerodynamic rakes fitted as they trialled the upgrades.
“Well, for us, it wasn’t a practice session, it was a test session because we had a lot of things to try,” said Krack.
It was also the first running for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll on the updated layout, with the final chicane removed as the circuit returns to its former setup.
”I think every race driver wants to have fast corners and not these little, tiny chicanes, so both were happy, both are drivers that like high-speed corners, so they are both happy with how it changed,” said Krack.
Aston Martin has been the “best of the rest” in the season dominated by Red Bull, but Krack warned that progress from the update will not necessarily take the team to the front.
“I think that is very difficult to say because it’s such a relative competition that you are depending on the pace of others, you are depending on yourself, so I think it would be bold to say we will win this one, or that we are close to winning. We have to see.”
“We have to be there at each opportunity that is coming and, if it comes, we have to be ready, and until then we have to work hard to keep ourselves in the position to be there. I will not make any predictions of when we’re going to win a race.”
Fernando Alonso on track during Friday practice in Spain. (Aston Martin F1)
The team also brought their first major upgrade of the 2022 season to the Spanish Grand Prix, with Krack reflecting that it takes a handful of races for the true potential to come through. This year, the upgrades also coincide with a move into a new factory funded by the team’s billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll.
“It’s fantastic – you should come and have a look – it’s really, really nice,” said Krack.
“We moved in, as you said, last week. Not everything is ready yet, to be fair, but the first floor is full of people, a lot of smiles and the communication is much better.”
“We have seen already after one day that you have a much better exchange between the people. You see different people that you have maybe not seen as often as before. So, it was a good first week and it will continue to be very good.”
Much like the upgrades, Krack says it will take time for the team to settle in and deliver on the potential of the new facilities.
“For someone like me, it’s easy. I pack a box, someone puts it in the new office, I go in the new office and plug in. So that is easy – but for production especially, with autoclaves, with machines, it is not a five-minute job. So this is all well-planned, so that we have no downtime.”
“We have a simulator to move, so all these kind of things are planned well in advance and they will move over gradually.”
Watch every session of the Formula One World Championship on Kayo Sports - Get your free trial now!
