Mike Krack acknowledges Aston Martin F1’s 2024 regression, emphasizing the need to accept the situation and focus on recovery moving forward.
Current results are deeply disappointing at Aston Martin F1, with the team failing to score any points over the past four consecutive Grands Prix, and almost nothing seems to be going right since Singapore.
In Qatar, Mike Krack, the team principal, indicated that while the team’s morale is “surprisingly good,” everyone is aware of the work needed to reverse a situation that has only worsened in 2024.
“We are realistic. We know, or rather, we don’t try to hide the facts, where we stand with the car, with the performance, and then it’s about communicating that appropriately. F1 teams always try to get the maximum out of what they have, whatever that may be, and no one is against that. That’s the reality. Last year, it was much easier to score more points at once. Today, it’s very, very difficult to get small points. But that’s the reality, and it’s something we have to accept and make the most of. But honestly, there hasn’t been much frustration.”
“The surprise comes when you try to improve the car, and you don’t see any performance improvements. It’s a surprise because you want to improve it, and there’s no improvement. You then have to ask yourself how you’ve gone about it and whether you should have done it differently. No one wants to improve the car with things that aren’t working.”
Fallows was understandably let go: “If the performance isn’t there…”
The team’s catastrophic results have cost Dan Fallows his position, with Mike Krack not hiding the fact that the former technical director paid the price for an AMR24 that continued to regress in the hierarchy as its development progressed.
“The only thing that matters is the result and performance in the end. And if the performance isn’t there, there’s a change. I think that’s normal in our profession. It’s no different in any professional sport. If the performance isn’t there, the team decides to make changes. And that’s what happened.”
However, there is no criticism to be made of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who have remained impeccable in their commitment and team spirit despite the situation, according to Krack.
“I take my hat off to both our drivers. They challenge us internally, and externally, they are excellent team players, which is obviously very helpful because if the difficulties are taken outside, it becomes much harder. They’ve behaved remarkably well. It’s frustrating for them too. We got off to a good start in 2023, and since then, things haven’t really progressed. They’re in front of the microphone every time they get out of the car, facing negative questions, which is normal. And when you have adrenaline and all that, it’s very difficult to stay positive, which they’ve done. So yes, it’s all to their credit.”
Returning to the forefront in 2025? Krack stays “realistic”
Despite all the issues faced this season, or rather since last year, does Mike Krack believe his team has solid foundations to move forward in 2025?
“We cannot be satisfied with our season. We started the year in the position we ended the previous one. Our goal was to close the gap to the front runners a bit. And exactly the opposite happened. So we can’t be satisfied with that. Then, it’s clear that more buildings have been brought online. More tools are being put into operation. Not everything is ready yet. So yes, the foundations are being built in the background, but we also have to run a car this season and next, and that doesn’t depend on whether or not we’ve finished the wind tunnel. In the end, no one will care about that.”
Aston Martin F1 can have medium- and long-term ambitions, with the launch of its new factory, new wind tunnel, and, of course, the recruitment of Enrique Cardile and Adrian Newey. But is there a way to leverage some of these aspects as early as next season?
“I think everyone should now know what they need to do to improve the car. And it’s the same for us. So, we’ve set ourselves goals. We can’t wait for the people you’ve mentioned to be here or for everything to be ready. We need to produce a 2025 car that must be faster than the 2024 car. We can’t continue at this level. So, there must be improvement.”
Thus, Krack seems to indicate that Aston Martin F1 is unlikely to return to its 2023 form next season.
“I think we need to be realistic. In 2023, the start of the season was the result of solid work on our part and probably less solid work from other teams. That put us in a different competitive situation. In terms of absolute performance, the gap to the front teams remains significant. So, I think it would be nice to start the year in that position, but we should be realistic, look at what’s happened over the last 18 months, and try to do better than what we’ve done so far.”
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Krack Admits Aston Martin’s 2024 Setback, Aims for Progress
Krack Admits Aston Martin’s 2024 Setback, Aims for Progress
Krack Admits Aston Martin’s 2024 Setback, Aims for Progress
