Aston Martin wary of explosive Alonso fallout after slump

Aston Martin boss Mike Krack has conceded he is wary of the possibility of Fernando Alonso's relationship with the team breaking down in a similar vein to his previous teams.

Although he is the most experienced driver in F1 history, racking up his 400th start in Qatar, it was a difficult season for Alonso and Aston, with a best finish of fifth in Saudi Arabia as the tea regressed from the podium and race-winning contention of early 2023.

Alonso's relations with his teams, such as McLaren, Ferrari, and Alpine have broken down in the past after he did not receive competitive equipment, with the Spanish racer also voicing concerns through the 2024 season at the slide. 

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365, Krack conceded Alonso's situation was "very tough" and that he actually felt sympathy for the two-time champion.

"The only recipe is a quick car, a competitive car, and we have seen the best from him in 2023," Krack exclusively told RacingNews365. 

"Then, there is this extra that the driver will deliver, because when you have a car that is not competitive, it is difficult for everyone, and it is most difficult for the drivers.

"To be honest with you, I feel for him because they are the ones exposed, especially a double world champion with so many years fighting for victories and now fighting for seventh is a great result. 

"That must be very tough, and I hope we do not go into the same situation as earlier [in his career], but it is down to us. 

"Most of the reassurances Lawrence has offered are by what we are building, what we have constructed and who we have recruited is the biggest reassurance Fernando has.

"Reassurance is frankly something that doesn't work anymore because we have promised over the last 18 months improvements that we have not managed to deliver. 

"You have to accept the degree of suspicion, of scepticism from the driver which is normal. It now needs to be actions more than words."

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Krack defends Alonso

Alonso was particularly vocal during a dry spell of performance in mid-2024 when the AMR24 machine would sometimes be eliminated on pure pace in Q1 as upgrade packages failed. 

Alonso is still regarded as one of the best drivers on the grid, and being in such a situation is understandable to Krack.

"He has been a fantastic team player so far, and yes there are occasional comments and frustrations which we must understand," he added.

"Like when he gets passed by drivers who are certainly not at his level, that is something difficult for a driver.

"If it happens once or twice, you probably can accept it, but if it happens 50 times in sessions, in sprints, in qualifying, frustration can build. 

"That is something we need to be transparent about and honest with each other over to try and minimise the fallout."