Why Aston Martin feels it is 'being judged too quickly'

Aston Martin boss Mike Krack believes the team is being judged "a little bit too quickly" on its 2024 performances after a strong 2023 campaign. 

Aston started 2023 as the closest challengers to Red Bull, banking six podiums from the first eight races, but slipped backwards as McLaren turned around its season, leaving the Silverstone-based squad fifth in the constructors' championship. In 2024, it has yet to challenge for a podium.

It again lies fifth in the standings but is already cut adrift of fourth-place Mercedes, with its best race result fifth in Saudi Arabia through Fernando Alonso. Its tally of 58 points is 117 worse off than after the first nine races last year.

The team recorded a strong sixth-seventh finish in Canada on Sunday, its best performance since third and fifth in last year's Sao Paolo GP.

Krack, though, feels Aston Martin is not being given the time it deserves by the critics.

"This time last year we were ahead of the plan, now we are behind the plan," Krack told media, including RacingNews365. 

"If you zoom out, you have to see that there is progress as a team. Last year, we were better than we thought, and I always said that on an upward trajectory, it will always go up and down depending on what your competitors are doing.

"I was asked if the upgrades are not working, so we are being judged sometimes a little bit too quickly, the performance of the team an upgrade, or the performance of the car in general. 

"We have to face these questions if we put these statements out and all in all, I'm happy with how the team is developing. 

"You have to go through more difficult periods and the expectation level is much higher this year because of last year. It is something we have to go through."

'No excuses'

Krack refused to make "excuses" for Aston's relative drop-off in performance but reiterated the team must continue to work towards the long-term plan in place.

"The drivers especially are [being judged] very quickly - when you look at trends, you can be positive or negative about it, like the stock exchange market," he continued.

"The closer you get to the front, the tougher it gets, but it is not an excuse.

"But you have to keep the target in sight, and at the end of the day, it is not only season on season, we are judging race by race.

"We have a plan in place, we're developing the team from an infrastructure point of view, we have a great partner coming with Honda, a great partner in Aramco, so I think there is no reason to be negative."