“There is a huge momentum in the team” - Euphoric Aston Martin boss not downplaying their chances against mighty Red Bull

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has said that there's huge excitement in the team following their excellent start to the 2023 season.

The British team have secured consecutive P3 finishes, thanks to Fernando Alonso. They have emerged as the closest competitors to Red Bull this season, usurping the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari in the race for P2 in the championship.

As per Motorsport-Total, Krack said:

“We’re in the middle of the development race, and we’re fighting with people who have different firepower than us. In terms of people, in terms of infrastructure, simply also because they know the situation better.”

He continued:

“I think we should be careful with predictions. It’s incredible. Anyone who hasn’t experienced it for themselves won’t believe it. There’s a huge momentum in the team, a huge energy. I am looking forward to going into work on Monday, because everyone is working at full throttle right now. Sometimes, we have to remind people to go home to their families as well. ... It’s a real pleasure to work in this team at the moment.”

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"Obviously, Aston Martin have made a huge leap" - Alpine F1 director

Alpine F1 sporting director Alan Permane has said that his team are the fifth-quickest on the grid, accepting that rivals Aston Martin have made a huge jump this season.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, he said:

"It's not satisfying that we're not where we want to be in terms of pace. We want to be a bit quicker than that, up fighting those guys. I think we are closer to Ferrari and closer to Merc than were last year. I haven't really had a good analysis of it yet, but I'm sure we're closer to Ferrari, because at this time last year, they were fighting for wins."

He continued:

"Obviously, Aston have made a huge leap, and we're fifth quickest team, which is not where we want to be. Our target was to be closer to third place. That isn't the case at the moment. Actually, it may be, because if you say Mercedes is the third-quickest team, maybe we're closer to them than we were last year. But it's not good enough. It's not where we want to be, and I think Aston have caught everyone by surprise by the jump they've made."

It will be fascinating to see if Alpine can catch up to Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari and join the fight for P2.