Lawrence Stroll has every reason to be encouraged while his team sit 2nd in the Constructors’ Championship…
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team
It’s been nothing short of an incredible start to the year for Aston Martin, in complete contrast to their 2022 campaign where they drifted towards the back of the pack early on. A miserable season followed as they waved goodbye to four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, but just how have their fortunes turned around?
Lightning performance on the track as Alonso shows his quality
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team
Fernando Alonso’s move has been a revelation, racking up four podiums within five races, while Lance Stroll has performed admirably since his early season cycling accident.
Outstanding consistency has been key for the two-time World Champion, with Alonso scoring 15 points at all five races, while Stroll has picked up good points occasionally, but overall is struggling to keep up with his teammate.
Their car seems to be incredibly efficient aerodynamically, while they addressed part of their straight-line issues with a DRS update that brought them close to Red Bull levels in Miami.
Further upgrades are expected to come to their car at the Monaco Grand Prix, which could be some of the last major parts before they turn their attention to 2024.
More to come from Stroll
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team
With the car he has at his disposal, Lance Stroll will be disappointed by his results so far this season. While a fourth place at the Australian Grand Prix marks his best finish of the year, he was let down by reliability in Saudi Arabia and strategy in Miami.
The reason he was in a bad position in Miami was borne through a poor showing in qualifying which left him 18th. He also happens to be losing 5-0 to his Spanish teammate in the head-to-head across both qualifying and the races.
Ideally, he needs to beat Alonso at least once during the upcoming European double header in order to give him some confidence for the rest of the year. We saw how much of a threat he can be in the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, and that form could only be round the corner as he nears the end of his recovery from the cycling accident.
Krack warns team to keep pushing despite success
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team
Team principal Mike Krack has enjoyed the resurgent form of his team, but remains wary that there is plenty of work left to do before they reach the top;
“You should never take a podium in F1 as a normal, or as a given, because it’s a lot of hard work involved to be on the podium, and you have very, very strong competitors in F1, very professional. If you are not 100% in all areas at all times, then there is no podium,” he said.
With races in Monaco and Canada coming soon, there could be an opportunity for Aston Martin to win a race if their updates deliver the expected results. The sort of results that Lawrence Stroll is keen to see.
Lawrence Stroll hungry for more
Photo Credit: Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team
Nearly five years on from when he bought the team, the Canadian has always been clear about his intentions. Mike Krack spoke about his desire just a few weeks ago;
“Lawrence’s mission statement is pretty clear. He has not been having any delay in telling us: ‘When are we going to win the next one?’” he said.
“Obviously he’s happy that we have made a step, but this is not enough for his ambitions.”
It appears that the team are going to keep pushing for now, with their sights set on more silverware this season and even bigger results next year.
Lance Stroll is getting back to full fitness, while Fernando Alonso looks to be in fantastic form – big things could be coming for those back in Silverstone very soon.
