Aston Martin team boss issues firm target for 2023

Aston Martin had made it no secret that they plan to compete for championships in Formula 1.

The team has made substantial investments in new facilities, including a new factory and wind tunnel, and the team has recruited the services of two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.

It will take time before the team is able to compete with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, as they break into the midfield and look to finish higher up in the standings.

But for now they are setting themselves immediate targets according to Team Principal Mike Krack, who spoke exclusively to RacingNews365.com about these goals.

“We finished seventh last season. That should be better next year, we have to take a step,” said Krack.

“I think it would be rude to say that we want to participate at the very front next year – that is too ambitious and unrealistic. But we do want to take that significant step.

“I also think that with the steps we have already taken so far and with the recruitment of Fernando Alonso, we can make that happen.”

But what would he see as a ‘significant step’ after finishing P7 in the championship for the last two years?

Krack explained: “We’ve seen a battle for fourth place in the World Championship this year [between Alpine and McLaren]. If we can get involved in that battle, it would be such a step.”

Does the father/son dynamically change things at Aston Martin?

Alonso will pair with Lance Stroll, who is of course the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll.

It’s unusual to have close family relations between drivers and team owners, a dynamic Krack says does not bring any additional challenges.

“That challenge is no greater than with any other driver. Lance assists his engineers and vice versa, then we evaluate the entirety of data. That is no different [to other drivers].”

But what about team orders? Does this relationship mean that they get distributed differently?

“That is also no different from other teams,” Krack responds. “Sometimes drivers just have different strategies and the other driver can make a difference in the championship. However, it is always important to discuss these things in advance.”