Stroll Asserts It's Not Aston Martin's Goal 'To Go Out And Beat Red Bull'
F1Sunday, 18 February 2024 at 08:45
Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll suggested his goal in 2024 is not to beat the reigning World Champions, Red Bull Racing.
Aston Martin finished "only" fifth at the end of the most recent season. However, the British team has made sizeable progress and amassed eight podiums throughout the year.
The winter break development was the crucial factor in Aston's success last year. So, going into 2024, many more people kept a close eye on the team's progress, considering it might even be a challenge for the title.
On the other hand, Lance Stroll asserted it would be incredibly tough to compete with Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen, who won 19 out of 22 races last year.
"In all seriousness, they've been dominating the sport for the last couple of years, since the new set of regulations. And Max has also been driving outstandingly, he's on top form."
While Aston Martin's team principal, Mike Krack, aims to change it, his team still comes into the 2024 season as an underdog. What's more, Stroll suggested it's not even his team's target to challenge Red Bull.
"So it's a challenge for sure. I don't think our goal is really to go out and beat Red Bull. I mean, we want to get there eventually. But our goal is really to just be the strongest team we can be."
The approach that the Canadian driver describes worked well for his team between 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Aston Martin finished seventh in the Championship.
His team's goal back then surely wasn't to come in next season and fight for podiums immediately. Yet, through focusing on their own best performance, it became possible.
"And we have a lot of ideas, a lot of things in the pipeline to be a much stronger team and that's where our focus is at."
On the one hand, Stroll steered away from talking about potential results to avoid maybe setting high expectations. On the other hand, his team principal said he was pleased with the progress over the winter, suggesting good gains in terms of performance. The 25-year-old added:
"When we were just trying to be as strong as we could be, a lot of the time we really had a great car, and we were able to fight for great positions and get some really strong results. So that's our focus."
POPULAR NEWS
FIA Delivers Crucial Verdicts After Front Bib Adjustment And Tire Cooling Allegations
Departing Race Director Contradicts FIA's Official Statement: 'I Have Not Resigned'
Hamilton 'Not Holding Anything Back' From Mercedes: 'That's What I'm Paid For'
Verstappen Receives High Praise From 2025 F1 Driver Bortoleto
Colapinto's Manager Issues Important Update On Driver's Future: 'Strong Desire On Many Sides'
