Aston keeping 'feet on the ground' amid remarkable run of podiums

40

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack is urging his outfit to keep its feet on the ground and not to consider Fernando Alonso's remarkable string of podiums year-to-date "as a given".

Save for Baku where he finished fourth, Alonso has stood on the third step of the podium at every single race this season, delivering to Aston Martin a remarkable run of results.

While Team Silverstone's track record this season is undoubtedly commendable, Krack insists its crucial for the team to remain grounded and not succumb to complacency, as getting carried away with early success can lead to a loss of focus and a subsequent decline in performance.

"Feet on the ground, you should never take a podium in F1 as normal or as a given," Krack said after last weekend's Miami Grand Prix.

"It's a lot of hard work involved to be on the podium and you have very, very strong competitors in Formula 1, very professional.

"And if we are not 100% in all areas at all times, then there is no podium."

Read also: Alonso admits even he wasn't sure about Aston at first

Given Red Bull's current – and seemingly unassailable – position of dominance in F1, Krack knows that Aston's main battle this season is with Ferrari and Mercedes.

Both outfits will be introducing upgrades from next week's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in a bid to bridge their performance deficit.

If Aston allows itself to become overly confident or lose sight of its own development priorities, the team risks being surpassed by its rivals who are relentlessly working to gain an advantage.

©AstonMartin

Krack warns that it will be crucial for Aston Martin not to lose its footing in F1's upcoming Imola-Monaco-Barcelona grueling triple header.

The Luxembourger is looking forward to the challenge.

"It will be very hard for man and machine because it's three weekends in a row," he cautioned.

"You have Monaco in the middle, which is logistically very, very difficult.

"Everybody will bring stuff, we will bring stuff. So I think this will add a little bit of extra work to everybody in terms of understanding what you have done in terms of putting the parts on.

"It will be quite challenging, but we're looking forward to it."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.