Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin affirms new F1 factory move ‘not an excuse’ for performance slump

Aston Martin shifted to a state-of-the-art facility near its original campus midway through 2023.

Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin affirms new F1 factory move ‘not an excuse’ for performance slump

Fernando Alonso and Mike Krack (via IMAGO)

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin had an incredible start to the 2023 F1 season. The two-time world champion bagged multiple podiums in the first half of the year. However, the Silverstone-based outfit failed to keep up with rivals over the course of 2023 while it switched to a brand new F1 factory. The Silverstone-based team moved into a brand new state-of-the-art factory midway through 2023. Aston Martin Chairman Lawrence Stroll is confident that this factory would allow the team to replicate Red Bull’s F1 success.

Now, Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack has made it clear that the transition to its new headquarters was not an excuse for the downturn in performance. Krack admitted that the team was prepared for more difficult times at the start of last year. However, the British team did not expect such a sudden drop in performance.

At the beginning of the year, when we had these good results, I always had my finger up and said: 'We will have more difficult times'. And they came, unfortunately, much quicker than we wanted them.
Mike Krack told Motorsport.com
YouTube video

The 51-year-old made it clear that he was not going to make excuses. The Aston Martin team boss admitted that the move to its new factory was going to be a challenge during the middle of a season. However, the team was aware of the about for this decision and as such cannot use it as an excuse. Fernando Alonso has previously acknowledged that the Silverstone-based team will face a tricky period as it progresses on the grid.

FS Video
We knew before that we would move. We knew before that we were expanding. We knew before that we were still growing. So if you know that before, you can plan all these things, and you should not use it as an excuse – it's too easy.

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin set to bounce back in 2024

Aston Martin is currently in the process of becoming a top contender in F1. Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in the team since taking over Force India in 2018. The Silverstone-based team has even signed a works power units deal with Honda for 2026.

Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez
Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez (via IMAGO)

Nevertheless, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll would need to deliver in the upcoming season. Team Silverstone has high expectations for this year. The 2024 car would be completely built in its new factory which could give it a major boost in performance over the course of the season. Although, the team must try and catch up with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll would be hoping to get a car capable of racing at the front of the grid this year. However, there are some underlying issues at the team which must be resolved if it truly wants to succeed in Formula 1. As such, fans would be looking forward to seeing how things pan out for Team Silverstone in the coming months.

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