23 March 2023 , 15:26
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Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack has issued a warning to his team despite their superb start to the 2023 F1 season.
An impressive showing in pre-season testing has proved no false dawn, with new signing Fernando Alonso securing a third placed finish in the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix. He repeated the feat in Saudi Arabia, albeit after having a time penalty dismissed, while teammate Lance Stroll was sixth in Bahrain despite battling hand injuries.
The Canadian was forced to retire in Jeddah, but the notion is growing that Aston Martin could prove Red Bull's biggest rivals in 2023, with Mercedes and Ferrari both struggling for pace. But Luxembourgish boss Krack has sounded caution as the team prepare to head down under for the Australian Grand Prix next week.
Outlining that there is still 21 races, and varying surfaces, to come, he told the official F1 website: “We have two data samples from two completely different tracks. In these two tracks we were competitive, but there are some others [to come].
“We don’t want to underestimate (their rivals)," he continued. "It could be one of our competitors has an issue that we are not aware of that could rejig the order, so I think we need to wait and see.”
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However, the 51-year-old hasn't given up hope on catching Red Bull, saying: “It can be managed to keep that gap, but can we close it? We will work hard. We have seen last year that we can close the gap to some cars in front of us, but just because we did it last year does not mean we can do it again.”
Fernando Alonso has back-to-back podium finishes (Getty Images)Krack joined his current team in January 2022, replacing the departing Otmar Szafnauer. And this year, he's laughed off speculation that the new AMR23 cars have copied the design of Red Bull, despite the jibes of opposite number Christian Horner.
And the ambitions of his team, and owner Lawrence Stroll, have long been apparent. Last year, work started on a new F1 factory and wind tunnel campus at their base in Silverstone, a development which Alonso cited as a key factor in him joining from Alpine.
Prior to the race in Jeddah, the Spanish icon said the main short term goal was for him and Stroll to boost the team in the constructors' race. Speaking after both had landed a top five spot in qualifying, he said: "We will try to finish both cars in the top five and keep accumulating points for the constructors’ championship. That's the main goal for Aston Martin this year."