Krack snarls at other teams after successful protest: "They learned their lesson"

In a post-Austrian Grand Prix twist, Aston Martin lodged a protest as the team believed that the race officials had not acted consistently. The team argued that while track limits were repeatedly breached, not all transgressions were properly recorded by the FIA. The British team was vindicated, and following an extensive investigation, several drivers received time penalties. While Aston Martin gained additional points through the protest, it didn't exactly earn them a popularity award.

Team principal of Aston Martin, Mike Krack, was pleased with the outcome of the protest and couldn't care less about the negative reactions. "We're not afraid to ruffle some feathers, especially if it benefits the sport. We were able to gain an advantage from this and it was important to us that consistent action was taken," the team principal told Sky Sports. Following Aston Martin's protest, the FIA examined 1,200 potential infringements. In the end, nine drivers were given penalties as a result.

"Of course, we knew our protest would stir up some controversy, but ultimately we had to do what was right for the team. We did just that, and it earned us some extra points," Krack explained. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both gained a position due to the protest, allowing Aston Martin to leave Austria with additional points. Many drivers and teams complained about the difficulty of staying within track limits, but according to Krack, it's good that they were penalized according to the rules. "I think most of them will have learned their lesson."

"Drivers' ears were ringing"

Aston Martin managed to prevent their drivers from receiving penalties by maintaining constant radio contact. "Often in Formula 1, we can be a bit slow to learn, and we are prone to that ourselves as well. Last year, we received penalties and had to learn from them. Our drivers' ears were nearly ringing from constantly being reminded to stay within track limits. It wasn't pleasant for them either, but they ultimately succeeded," stated the team principal. Regarding the complaints from many teams about the strictness of the race control, the team boss considers them unjustified. "Ten drivers didn't receive penalties, so it was indeed possible to stay within the limits. Let's not forget about that."