Mike Krack believes that the AMR25 is faster and easier to drive than its predecessor – Why Aston Martin still didn’t get off to a good start this season though
Ten measly points for Lance Stroll, zero for Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin has so far fallen short of expectations. After the first three races, the balance is sobering. Nevertheless, Mike Krack, previously team principal and now Trackside Engineering Officer, is convinced: the AMR25 is faster than its predecessor!
“When you see that the entire field is faster, [the car] is actually significantly faster than in previous years,” explains the Luxembourger. “Some are faster, some are slower, but everyone is faster, so the answer is quickly given.”
Bahrain is a particularly good place to see the development, says Krack. “Here there are the least changes in weather and wind compared to last year,” he says, referring to the constant conditions there – a reliable indicator of the progress of the vehicles.
It’s not just about pure speed: the AMR25 is also more driveable and predictable overall than its predecessor. “Overall, our car is easier to drive, but now we have to make it even faster to be competitive,” says Krack.
Aston Martin “must not make any mistakes”
Despite the lack of upgrades so far, the former team principal still sees room for improvement in the car set-up. “That’s our job here,” emphasizes the 53-year-old. “We have to get the maximum out of ourselves every weekend, not only in terms of strategy and results, but also in terms of car set-up.”
Especially in this regard, there is no room for weakness. “We can’t afford to make any mistakes and we have to use our simulation tools and the training time as effectively as possible. I think there is always potential.” However, a glance at Friday’s results in Bahrain offers little cause for hope.
Lance Stroll only finished in 15th and 19th place. Fernando Alonso also only managed 15th place in the second training session after he had given up his cockpit for Felipe Drugovich in the first session. Nevertheless, Krack remains optimistic.
“There are always small improvements”
“They always say you shouldn’t limit the potential on the racetrack too much, and that applies to everyone. But I think there are always small improvements that you can find to help the driver feel more confident in certain areas of the corner, under braking or when turning in,” explains the engineer.
The hope is that with precise setup work, crucial percentage points can be coaxed out of the AMR25. “There are always ways to improve the car through setup alone.” What’s more, the midfield has become even closer this year.
“I think the field is clearly divided into two,” says Krack about the gap between the top four teams and the rest of the field. ‘And it’s definitely true that teammates aren’t driving side by side because of the small gaps you see in qualifying.’
A few hundredths decide…
Just in qualifying, a blink of an eye can make all the difference. “I haven’t analyzed the statistics, but one or two tenths get you into the next round,” says Krack. “We saw it in Japan. We were close to getting into Q3. Sometimes you have those few hundredths on your side, sometimes not.”
In the end, it can be the deciding factor between success and frustration. “And it also determines whether you score points over the weekend or not.” That’s why the focus has to be clear: Aston Martin should improve in qualifying. If they succeed, Alonso could finally score the first championship points of the season.
