Mike Krack quashes Audi switch speculation, reaffirming his dedication to Aston Martin’s F1 ambitions.
Changes Afoot at Hinwil! Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann have been asked to leave Audi F1, while Mattia Binotto has been brought in to oversee the technical direction and the transition of Sauber to Audi.
Yet, Sauber still lacks a proper team principal (Alessandro Alunni Bravi is merely the team’s representative.) It will be Mattia Binotto himself who selects the new director.
Could this team principal be Mike Krack? It appears that the Luxembourger is facing difficulties at Aston Martin F1, with Lawrence Stroll demanding quicker results. Moreover, Krack is familiar with Sauber from his past work there and also knows the Volkswagen group, including Audi, from his previous stint at Porsche.
However, in the Spa paddock, Mike Krack has categorically denied any immediate departure from Aston Martin F1… even if Lawrence Stroll is showing him the door?
“A lot of this talk stems from my long tenure at Sauber and Volkswagen, where I made many friends whom I occasionally see.”
“There might be one element that leads people to make the connection between the two: why am I in Switzerland, one wonders…? Because my son’s godfather works there. If I have friends there, I can’t just abandon them for that reason.”
“Here at Aston Martin F1, I am part of a ‘project of a lifetime,’ where someone is investing heavily to build a great team, and being part of this team is an opportunity for everyone.”
“So, I am focusing on this project.”
“The years 2025 and 2026 represent a huge challenge for us. That’s what I’m thinking about.”
Is Aston Martin F1 Truly Advancing?
Mike Krack might yet pay the price for Aston Martin F1’s lack of progress in the latter half of the season if the upcoming developments fail to boost the team’s competitiveness.
However, on this front, he remains optimistic. Might we even see improvements this weekend due to the enhancements made to the AMR24?
“On this matter, our free practice sessions have shown that our developments are performing as anticipated, despite the timesheets suggesting otherwise. Some journalists questioned whether our updates were ineffective. I encouraged them to wait and see, promising we’d discuss it further later. The real headline here is that we are on the right track.”
So, is the mood positive within the Silverstone team, despite what is said to be Lawrence Stroll’s aggressive management style?
“I am extremely proud of the team at the moment, how it has conducted itself over the recent races. At this point in the season, it would be easy to look forward to the summer break and lose sight of the upcoming race, but that’s not happening. The mindset is very positive, which is clearly reflected in our metrics: be it track reliability, progress in aerodynamic development, or the speed at which production is delivering new parts.”
“Before the summer break, I’ll tell the team that we have fewer points than last year, but all indicators, except for the points tally, show that we are moving in the right direction. People often don’t realize the sheer amount of work involved each year: reliability, preparation, pit stops, optimization, but also tuning, aerodynamic analysis, research, development, production, finance! Everything must function in unison—and if you look at what we did last year, it’s a positive improvement.”
The summer break will finally give Mike Krack and Aston Martin F1 a chance to reflect on priorities for the second half of the season…
“After Spa, it’s the summer break. First, there are the Pirelli tyre tests, for which many team members will stay on, and we’ll have Stoffel Vandoorne in the AMR24 for the first time, but after that, it’s the break. Everyone deserves it.”
“Two weeks off allows everyone to catch their breath a bit. For me, it’s an opportunity to think about strategic matters, but also to look in the mirror and ask myself: What do I need to do differently? I’ll also find time to continue enjoying this incredible sporting summer by watching the Olympics, and to go on holiday with my family… but first, Spa!”
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Krack Rejects Audi Affirms Aston Martin Commitment Krack Rejects Audi Affirms Aston Martin Commitment
