F1 News: Aston Martin won't have any number one driver in 2023
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack is prepared to manage any altercations between Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll next season.
Lance Stroll has faced significant criticism for his entanglements with teammate Sebastian Vettel this year, with the Brazil Sprint serving as yet another talking point.
The Canadian abruptly closed the door on his teammate in the first sector of the Interlagos circuit, forcing Vettel onto the grass in an unnecessary defensive manoeuvre.
Stroll will be facing off against Fernando Alonso next year, so there has already been plenty of conversation about how the two drivers will work together in 2023.
There is no reason for immediate concern about this driver combination, but there will be added pressure on Aston Martin to address the inefficiencies of the last twelve months.
Speaking after the Brazilian GP weekend, Mike Krack discussed how the team looks to manage its new driver pairing next year:
"We don't have anything like that, and we won't have it in the future either", motorsport-total quote Krack as saying.
"So we have to be prepared for the fact that they're going to be tough on each other on the track.
"That's unfortunate, of course, and now what you want to see.
"But that kind of thing just happens when you have two equally fast drivers that are in the same place."
The Silverstone-based squad has made important progress in recent months, but managing the relationship between Alonso and Stroll will be another factor to consider for 2023.
Fernando Alonso's track record suggests he will be comfortably ahead of Lance Stroll, so it seems somewhat unlikely that the two drivers will tangle especially frequently.
With that said, Aston Martin would do well to prevent the inter-team incidents that have cost them vital points and unnecessary headaches in the last couple of years.