Aston Martin began off the season strongly with six podiums for Fernando Alonso within the first seven grands prix, however rival groups have since caught up with the Silverstone squad.
It has lengthy fallen behind Mercedes and Ferrari and can now face an uphill process to fend off McLaren for fourth because the Woking outfit’s current double podiums have moved it to inside 11 factors.
Over the previous three races McLaren has scored 104 factors in comparison with simply 15 for Aston, however when requested by Autosport if his staff is now a sitting duck, staff principal Mike Krack replied: “No, you all the time have your future in your personal arms.
“It’s important to try to enhance the automotive, which we nonetheless attempt to do. After which attempt to battle as exhausting as we will.”
Aston continued work on its AMR23, as it’s assured that no matter it brings to the automotive over the remaining 5 races will nonetheless be related for 2024.
It can roll out a brand new package deal at this weekend’s US Grand Prix on the Circuit of the Americas, regardless of the perils of introducing new components at a dash weekend.
“We’ve some updates coming into the weekend, and we’re fairly to see how they work,” stated technical director Dan Fallows.
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23
“In some methods its a disgrace that it is a dash weekend as a result of we’d wish to have extra time to dial in these updates and see how the automobiles will carry out.
“It is going to be an enormous problem to realize that understanding as early as doable. We’re wanting ahead to seeing how these upgrades carry out and, hopefully, it is a observe the place we must be fairly aggressive if we will get the whole lot proper.
“We have clearly been disenchanted with the way in which it is panned out in current races, however this expertise has enabled us to be taught some beneficial classes which we’re attempting to take into subsequent 12 months.”
Whereas McLaren passing Aston within the standings seems to be a foregone conclusion primarily based on the shape desk, staff boss Andrea Stella most well-liked to remain cautious.
When requested about if the battle with Aston will probably be a stroll within the park, he shrugged: “Look, in System 1 I do not know of any stroll within the park, ever…
“We keep very, very grounded and we noticed how marginal issues are. We noticed [in Qatar] what occurred with Mercedes, what occurred with Ferrari, [Carlos Sainz] did not even begin.
“And this isn’t as a result of they don’t seem to be nice groups with nice drivers. It’s because the game may be very marginal.
“The perfect factor you are able to do is simply keep centered, humble, and hold delivering. After which we’ll see in Abu Dhabi.”