Lance Stroll's drive to sixth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix must not be overshadowed by the 'hype' of Fernando Alonso's podium says Aston Martin chief Mike Krack. Stroll recovered from wrist and toe injuries enough to take part in the season-opening race and came home a creditable sixth - equalling his best result of the 2022 season. Teammate Alonso took third place after a stunning drive for his 99th career podium and Aston's first since Sebastian Vettel in the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Speaking after the race, Aston's best ever two-car result and best for the Silverstone team since the one-three finish in Sakhir 2020, Krack believed it was important to highlight Stroll's efforts.
"We must not forget, he had no testing. He had a technical problem on Friday, then he had huge stress in qualifying," Krack told media including RacingNews365. "He did not drive the Hard tyres at all [in practice] because we saved both [sets for the race]. "He had no reference about managing [the tyres], so I think in all the hype we had around the podium, we have also have to got to [give praise] for what Lance did [in the race]."
Must keep feet on the ground
Despite the podium for Alonso, Krack was also keen to play down expectations and keep the team grounded - especially as Red Bull hold a significant advantage in terms of race pace. "We must not lose our feet on the ground and dream about podiums straightaway," he said. "We knew that we were not bad, and that we had a strong race pace, but so many things can go wrong. "After two laps, I was not dreaming about a podium to be very honest with you, it is all things where you just have to see how the race unfolds and just focus on your job. "We also had the attrition of Charles [Leclerc, who retired on Lap 41], which we shouldn't forget. "So all in all, I think you can dream about podiums, but you should not predict them." Let us know what you think Aston Martin can achieve in the 2023 season by voting in the poll below - or through the comments section below!
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