Aston Martin Formula 1 boss Mike Krack says Lance Stroll was unlucky to be recovering from injury when the team’s 2023 car was at its most competitive early in the campaign.
Stroll’s preparations heading into last season were disrupted through an absence from pre-season testing with broken wrists that also hampered him across the opening rounds.
But while Fernando Alonso capitalised on Aston Martin’s newfound competitiveness to land eight podiums, Stroll trailed his illustrious team-mate with 74 points to 206.
The Canadian was thwarted by the Silverstone squad being outdeveloped once he returned to full fitness, prompting him to endure a wretched streak of six consecutive Q1 eliminations between Italy and Mexico as he struggled to get on top of his AMR23 car.
Although Stroll is adamant he never doubted his abilities during his mid-season slump, Krack admits the pressure to escape that rut weighed heavily on his driver’s shoulders.
“They are they are young athletes, this is weighing on them,” Krack told Autosport. “They want to perform, and if the performance is not to your own expectation it’s always difficult for everybody.
“So, I’m really happy that we managed the turnaround, there was a lot of dialogue over all these months and weeks and what I really admire is that as a team, and also on Lance’s side, we always stuck to our principles, working hard, working together, and believing in each other.
“And that makes me quite proud of the team. All this pressure, that also came from you guys, it was really weighing heavily on Lance. And to then come out the way he managed together with the team, I think it made us much stronger for the future.”
Stroll rebounded in the closing rounds to convert third position on the grid into fifth in Brazil before matching that result upon F1’s return to Las Vegas in the penultimate race.
Krack believes that Stroll’s late recovery demonstrates that he was unfortunate to have not been at his best when Aston Martin’s 2023 machine was at its strongest.
“We must not forget at the beginning of the season, when we had really strong car compared to the competition, he was hampered by the injuries,” Krack added.
“And then when the car was a little bit worse, he was in better shape again.”
Krack is convinced that both Stroll and the team benefitted from working alongside two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, who will embark upon his 21st F1 season in 2024.
“Just like the team, Lance has learned a huge amount from Fernando,” he assessed. “And also I think how to manage difficult situations, you always look what your team-mate is doing, how he’s behaving, or is handling.
“We have all learned a great deal there, not trying to invent things, but really stick to our data, stick to the analysis and move on from there.”
