Disappointing Hungary Result ‘a Reality Check’ for Aston Martin – Mike Krack

Mike Krack says it is important that the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team can push through their developments as they were only the fifth fastest team during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could only finish ninth and tenth at the Hungaroring, with Aston Martin finishing behind both drivers of Oracle Red Bull Racing, the McLaren F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and Scuderia Ferrari. 

Stroll even found himself a lap down on race winner Max Verstappen, while Alonso was more than a minute and fifteen seconds behind the Dutchman at the chequered flag.

Aston Martin still sit third in the Constructors’ Championship after the eleventh round of the season, but the gap to Mercedes in second now sits at thirty-seven points, while fourth placed Ferrari have closed their gap to the Silverstone-based team to just seventeen points.

Krack, the Team Principal at Aston Martin, says both Alonso and Stroll performed well during the Hungarian Grand Prix but did not have the pace nor performance needed to challenge higher up the order, something they need to address if they are to return to their early podium-challenging form.

“Getting two cars home inside the points was the maximum today,” said Krack.  “It was a quiet and uneventful race, and the results were in pace order as we finished behind our direct competitors.

“Both Lance and Fernando performed very well, but we are missing the performance to challenge higher up. Lance did particularly well to finish just behind Fernando from his initial grid position.

“Today is a reality check. We need to keep our heads down, keep working hard, and push through the developments to get back to where we were in earlier in the season.”