Aston Martin sporting director: 'We are constantly under a microscope'

Aston Martin has started the new season incredibly well. Fernando Alonso already managed to grab three podiums in the three races he has run, which means Aston Martin is now second in the constructors' championship. The question now is: can the team keep this up throughout the season?

The team was previously competitive under the name 'Racing Point' in 2020, driving what many people called the 'pink Mercedes'. This allowed them to take pole position once and win a race once. However, both of these came through chaotic qualifying and racing. In 2021 and 2022, the racing stable failed to impress. Only one podium was taken in two years.

Andy Stevenson, sporting director of Aston Martin, told the team's official website that as the team's performance improves, there is more pressure on the racing stable: "Everyone is looking at you. Any mistake, even the tiniest error or a hint of a mistake, and everybody is pointing it out. When you're towards the back of the field people aren't watching you as much, but when you're at the front you're constantly under the microscope."

Whether Aston Martin can continue the good performance throughout the season remains to be seen, Stevenson says: "We have to remain realistic. It's going to take a lot of hard work to stay where we are. There are some incredibly well-established teams that might not have started the season strongly but will be doing everything they can to close the gap and try to beat us."