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Aston Martin: F1 factory switch no excuse for mid-season slump
Since being purchased by a Lawrence Stroll-led consortium in 2018, Aston Martin has experienced improved financial stability, allowing the team to relocate to a new Silverstone-based campus and construct a new wind tunnel. The start of the 2023 F1 season saw Aston Martin’s best performance since its founding, with Fernando Alonso challenging Red Bull and achieving six podium finishes in the first eight rounds. However, the development of the AMR23 did not live up to expectations, and by the end of the year, Alonso and Lance Stroll struggled to keep up with Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren. Despite this, Aston Martin team principal, Otmar Krack, refused to use the infrastructure changes as an excuse for their decline. Krack acknowledged that they knew about the relocation and expansion beforehand and should have planned accordingly. While the competition improved, Aston Martin failed to keep up with their upgrades, resulting in a larger gap between them and the leading teams. Looking ahead to 2024, Krack urged for a broader perspective over a three- to four-year period rather than focusing solely on individual races or seasons. He emphasized that a higher championship position next year should not be the sole measure of success for the Aston Martin project.
