Co-Author: Fernanda Álvarez
Mike Krack has responded after Fernando Alonso claimed he would give himself an award for producing the best qualifying performances in the 2024 F1 season considering the pace of the AMR24.
Aston Martin’s performance declined during the 2024 F1 season, as the team struggled to keep pace with the front-runners.
Later updates did not achieve the intended outcomes, and the team found it difficult to replicate the success experienced during the 2023 season.
Despite finishing P5 again, they were clearly outpaced by Haas, Alpine and Racing Bulls at various points after the first third of the season as the car was difficult to drive.
Their 2024 challenger had difficulties with race pace because of that, while qualifying performance improved slightly, especially at the start of the season.
Alonso makes a big statement about his qualifying efforts
Despite the car’s struggles, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso made Q3 a remarkable 16 times during the season, one more than Sergio Pérez in the Red Bull.
The Spaniard secured two second row starts in Saudi Arabia (P4), and China, where he qualified in P3.
The 43-year-old considers his performance in qualifying to be the best of his career. He beat Lance Stroll 19-5 in the qualifying head-to-head, and the two-time F1 World Champion was a 16-7 winner in making Q3.
“Getting into Q3 16 times out of 24, with the car we have this year, I think, shows that it must be my best season as a qualifier. If I was voting, I would definitely give myself the award.
“If your teammate gets pole position or beats you, then I understand that you have a car to get into Q3, but I don’t think we have had that car many, many times out of those 16.
“However, there have been good laps, the team has managed traffic well, and we have taken risks in certain decisions.
“I’m not saying it’s all about the driver. But I do think Saturdays have been by far our strong point this year, and Sundays our weak point, and that’s how it is.”
Does Krack agree with the comments of Alonso?
Following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Aston Martin boss Mike Krack was asked about the assessment by Alonso of his 2024 F1 qualifying performance.
Krack mentioned that it was “difficult to answer” because the strengths of the car had changed compared to 2023, during which the car performed better in the race than in qualifying. Alonso finished on the rostrum eight times in 2023.
Nonetheless, he believes the two-time F1 World Champion delivered some extraordinary laps.
He also mentions that factors such as tyre and track temperature, as well as the operating window, can contribute to help with performance in qualifying.
“That’s difficult to answer, obviously. I think when we look back last year, we were stronger in the race than in qualifying.
“This year, we have been stronger in the qualifying than in the race. The race gives the points, not the qualifying.
“So while there has been some extraordinary performances, sometimes the car has come alive at low fuel, going into the rhythm of the tyres.
“Yesterday was a good example, where we got much more performance out of it all of a sudden. But we must also not forget, the gaps are very, very small.
“So often you find two-tenths, three-tenths, and you make a big jump, like yesterday.
“We also discussed just now had the race being at two in the afternoon in the heat, where we really struggle, it would have looked very different, both in qualifying and in the race.
“So to answer your question, I think, at times, certainly yes.
“And at certain tracks, like in the street circuits, where you have to take risk, where you have to really go over it, I think there has been such instances.”
