Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack believes overhauling Alfa Romeo Sauber in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship will be difficult.
Four points separate the two teams with just the Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix remaining in 2022.
Alfa Romeo Sauber has scored just two points since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, while Aston Martin has scored half its 50-point total since Formula 1 returned from its summer break in late August.
Singapore was especially good for the Silverstone-based squad as it pocketed 12 points courtesy of Lance Stroll finishing sixth and Sebastian Vettel eighth.
“I think it’s not a home run at all,” Krack said of the ongoing battle.
“Just going by statistics it will be easy, but Alfa Romeo is a team we highly respect.
‘You have seen at the beginning of the season what they were capable of doing, and I think although the difference in points is small, it will be very hard to pass them.”
Formula 1 pays points to the top 10 finishers, meaning once Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes have taken the top six places, there are few opportunities left.
Add in the likes of Alpine and McLaren, who are engaged in their own battle over fourth in the constructors’ championship, and the ask becomes almost impossible without reliability of misfortune playing a role.
Even then, Alfa Romeo Sauber and Aston Martin have Scuderia AlphaTauri and Haas to contend with. The quartet is separated by just 18 points.
Alfa Romeo Sauber has introduced an upgrade package, deploying that over the Japanese and United States Grands Prix.
While it hasn’t transformed the Swiss operation’s fortunes, it has been a step forward.
“We brought two updates; one in Suzuka and one in Austin, about the front wing and the floor. It’s not a secret,” said Team Principal, Frederic Vasseur.
“We did a step forward in terms of performance, and in terms of balance.
“I think that for the midfield fight, every single tenth is mega important.
“We are fighting together with the teams around us, and for one or two tenths, you can move from P8 to P18 and this is changing completely the face of the weekend.”
Formula 1 prize money is paid out based on the finishing positions in the constructors’ championship.
Where that was once heavily skewed towards those at the top of the championship, a more equitable split has been established more recently.
Even still, the difference from one place to the next is in the region of $10 million, a significant portion of a team’s annual budget – especially for those below the cost cap.
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix begins on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 12:30 local time (16:30 BST/10:30 ET/02:30 AEDT Saturday).
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