Fernando Alonso ended the Dutch Grand Prix in ninth place, visibly frustrated as he climbed out of his car. It was a complicated race for the two-time world champion: overtaken several times and disrupted by multiple Safety Car interventions, he was unable to make up ground in the standings. In the end, he even crossed the line behind his teammate Lance Stroll. Unlike Alonso, the Canadian driver managed to take advantage of the chaotic race that unfolded at Zandvoort.
Krack on Alonso’s anger
Speaking about Alonso’s mood after the race, Mike Krack, team principal of Aston Martin, revealed: “He was angry about the race, and he let a bit of that out on all of us. We cannot do anything in these kinds of situations, we just have to accept them as they are and try to find the best possible solution with the changing conditions around us. The situation shifted, and once we were in it, others could stop earlier.”
Krack also pointed out that strategy was influenced by tyre choices and the weather: “We knew that others had fewer tyres available compared to us, so they had to pit, they had to stay out a little longer and try to cope with the rain.”
Strong recovery for Lance Stroll
While Alonso struggled, Lance Stroll managed to bring home an eighth-place finish. A crucial factor in his result was the perfectly timed pit stop. “Lance gained a lot of positions by stopping very early there, so I think it was the right decision, but you can only make it work if you have the right tyres,” Krack highlighted.
Looking back on the weekend, the Aston Martin boss admitted preparation had not been ideal: “On Friday we didn’t do many laps. Lance had his accident, and Fernando did not complete many long runs, so you are in slightly unknown territory when it comes to tyre wear. That forces you to take a more conservative approach. We had to do that, and in the end, it cost us in terms of performance,” Krack concluded.
Leave a Reply