Aston Martin grateful that Alonso and Stroll “didn’t let us down”

Aston Martin team principal Mike Craik has expressed his gratitude towards his drivers, who have mostly avoided criticizing his car’s poor performance in the media.

2024 was a poor season for the Silverstone-based team after a stellar 2023 campaign fernando alonso Was a regular podium contender.

Aston Martin’s best result last year was Alonso’s fifth-place finish in Saudi Arabia. The Spaniard’s 70 points and his team-mates lance stroll The tally of 24 is enough to secure fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship – although a world away from fourth-placed Mercedes’ total of 468 points.

Revealing his highlights of the year, Krack said he was thrilled that his drivers remained somewhat positive despite their struggles.

“The main thing for me is the drivers and how they coped with it, how they stuck with the team,” Krack told Motorsport.com in an interview at the end of the season.

“It will be very easy for them to go to the media and defame us, because it is the hardest for them.

“Every week, they drive it and they can’t change cars. They have to drive it and have all the microphones in front of them. And they’re always connected with the team. So, for me, that’s really a big attraction.”

Although he is rarely verbose, Stroll said in June that “it’s amazing to see” how far the team has come since the Racing Point era and that he is “definitely here for the future”.

Alonso in particular has a history of calling out his team for poor performances, at least not with mclaren During its ill-fated partnership with Honda over the past decade.

Speaking in September last year, the two-time champions said: “As a team, we can accept not being in the battle for the top four – they are top teams and they are way ahead of us. But now we have to be left behind. Williams Behind Haas, back (RB), I think we need to raise the level a little bit.

However, the two-time world champion is also proving to be realistic. “There are not many miracles in Formula 1 – you need to be patient,” he explained. As a result, he is taking solace in the promise of better days to come with the 2026 tech regulatory overhaul.