Team Principal Mike Krack believes Aston Martin can put the problems of 2023 behind them and be more consistent in the new year with a better understanding of the car
For Aston Martin, the 2023 Formula 1 season was like a rollercoaster ride. What began promisingly with a series of podium finishes as the first runner-up to Red Bull suffered a severe setback as the season progressed when the team fell away in the development race and only got back on track towards the end
“For me, this phase was a challenge because you have to understand what’s happening,” says Team Principal Mike Krack on the Aston Martin website, looking back on the form crisis. “You have to broaden your perspective and look at the bigger picture. Are others improving massively? Are we not making enough progress?”
“You have to be honest in your assessments, ask yourself difficult questions, get a picture and then make sure that everyone in the team also understands the situation, sticks together and works on it,” he emphasizes.
I’ve said a few times that the goal for the rest of the season was to understand the car and reverse the trend. I thought if we could get back on the podium in the second half of the year, that would be a fantastic achievement. We did that twice – but everyone wants more!”
Krack: Knowing in which direction we need to go
An important step towards this has been taken, as the car was understood by the end of the season, says Krack, although he admits: “It would be wrong to say that we know absolutely everything about the AMR23. We have understood a lot, we know what we want to do in 2024 and in which direction we need to go.”
However, this does not necessarily mean that Aston Martin will turn up at the season opener in Bahrain and fight for race victory. The team boss knows: “We are up against very strong competitors and the big question mark over the winter is always how the other teams have worked.”
“If the cars roll out and we haven’t done enough, then we have to work hard to improve. And if we have done enough, then we have to work hard to improve further. That’s the way Formula 1 works. “
Aston Martin on the way to the front runner?
Krack does not see the danger that the difficulties Aston Martin had with the AMR23 could be transferred to the car for 2024. “We are not going into 2024 with a hangover from 2023. The opposite is the case,” he says.
“The 2023 season – and especially the races at the end of the season – were very positive for us, and we gained some really valuable insights that we will carry over into the 2024 car. We’re not struggling with any doubts.”
“We’re not an established front-runner yet, but that’s the direction we’re moving in. We are fully focused on realizing our long-term goals – fighting for regular points, podiums and our first win in green,” Krack announces for the coming season.
At the same time, the Aston Martin team boss emphasizes: “We should not forget what we have already achieved: where we are now compared to where we were. It was an important step on our way, but there is still a lot to do. “