Big-name signings, ground effect, the 2026 F1 regulations, and giving Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso the right tools. Aston Martin Aramco Team Principal Mike Krack shares his opinions and thoughts on the shape of things to come as Formula One enters the summer break.
"If I'm honest with myself, and I think we should all be honest with ourselves: we expected more. We knew we had a bit of a gap to the cars in front, and how difficult it is to close that gap. We haven't managed it yet, and until we do, we cannot be happy."
Team Principal Mike Krack refrained from sugar-coating his thoughts as he opened up about the team's first half of the 2024 F1 season, but would you expect anything less in the latest instalment of UNDERCUT, our raw, unfiltered, interview series that asks the questions you really want the answers to?
In the first part of the 2023 F1 season, Mike was cautious. Silverware was rolling in, the team was enjoying front-row starts and contesting victories, however "it's very nice – but it isn’t an accurate picture" was a constant message. Mid-season, when the usual suspects figured out their early-season wobbles, silverware became harder to come by. There were still occasional, stunning, successes, but fifth-quickest team was where we levelled-off… and where we are now.
Beyond the track, change continues at pace back in Silverstone. The next phase of the AMR Technology Campus is about to open, the senior leadership has been bolstered by the arrival of serial winners Bob Bell, Andy Cowell and Enrico Cardile. Our 2025 car is becoming an increasing area of focus, and with the opportunity of a huge regulation change for 2026 on the horizon, including the start of our works power unit partnership with Honda, the team has never been busier.
Before Formula One closed up shop for its regulatory two-week summer shutdown, Mike sat down with us to discuss where the team is, and where it's going.
The team brought significant updates to the Hungarian Grand Prix, including a new floor, but hasn't taken a major step forward in the competitive order. Have the updates worked?
"The updates that we fitted in Hungary are working. It's not just a case of this making the car faster for the rest of this season, it's also having the knowledge that we understand our platform and know how to develop it.
"A journalist who, perhaps, hadn't been looking at the context, asked me if we were still lost. I replied that lost implies you don't know where you are, don't know what to do. We know the updates are working, so we we're not lost. Had the updates not worked, then, we'd have been lost, because that would imply we didn't understand our car very well."
Did the possibility of being 'lost' ever play on your mind?
"It certainly plays on your mind because our update prior to Hungary didn't deliver as much as we expected, but because these latest updates do work, I have the confidence to say we are going in the right direction. We've taken a new approach with the car and are making progress now.
"From an engineering point of view, I can see the light. I have trust in our engineering, in our performance development, in our aerodynamic development. We're on the right path, and we'll have a better second half of the season. I'm not normally that bold with pronouncements but we know what we have."
You mentioned that some updates earlier in the season haven't delivered what was expected. With all the resources of a Formula One team, why does this happen?
"Some of our previous updates haven't delivered exactly what we were expecting. The trends have been correct but perhaps the gains expected in some areas haven't been quite as big as predicted, while the corresponding losses in other areas have been bigger than anticipated. The net effect is an update that's less effective than you hoped. It isn't particularly a case of things going wrong, just a matter of degrees."
Is this challenge particularly acute in the current era of ground effect cars?
"It’s an interesting era in F1 for this sort of thing. In the past, updates tended to work straight away. Disappointments were rare. Now, particularly with floors because they're so close to the ground now, and so unstable, it isn't a given that you'll fit them and they'll work immediately.
"You see it up and down the paddock: ourselves, Ferrari, RB, Red Bull struggling to add performance; other teams – McLaren, Mercedes – making huge steps. It really isn't easy to understand what's going on. Happily, we know our latest updates work as expected."
F1 really is the world's fastest R&D lab, isn't it?
"It really is, and it can be frustrating when an update doesn't work as planned, but no-one gives in to that frustration, and the nature of the work doesn't change. It's relentless. We targeted Round 13 (Hungary) for these updates, back at Monaco (Round Eight). The lead times in F1 are perhaps underestimated by the outside world, but that was an incredibly accelerated timescale – but one which limited the number of races at which we would have to suffer.
"There is a whole chain of people, from the design office, to the manufacturing department, to the suppliers, to quality control, to testing, who worked incredibly hard to deliver the updates, including a new floor in just a few weeks – that's record time for a floor. I'm very proud of everyone in the team for their response and what they have achieved in such a short space of time."
At times, the drivers have been critical of the AMR24's performance. How do you react to that?
"Both Lance and Fernando have driven excellently this season in a car that has been difficult to drive. We have two world-class drivers; we need to give them a better car – and we will because we have a world-class team. If we give Lance and Fernando the tools, they will deliver.
"We have had a few frustrating months and from time to time both Lance and Fernando have raised those frustrations publicly. I don't mind that, but I do think we need to protect them.
"They are elite sportsmen, but they're also human beings. They jump out of the car after a race, they're full of adrenaline, they're hot, they’re exhausted, and the microphone is always there. The drivers are always exposed and it's our job to stand in front of them."
Is the team switching focus from 2024 to 2025?
"There are more updates planned on the AMR24 in the second half of the season before everything moves to our 2025 car.
"We need to be realistic, considering the gaps to the front and the gaps behind. We’re not giving up on 2024, but 2025 will soon come into focus. Work on this year's car is very important though because it's this that gives us direction for next year. There's a lot of carry-over with stable regulations, and whatever we learn now, we take into 2025."
How much will the team have to balance the AMR25 project with the demands of the new regulations for 2026?
"Everything we are creating is being built around 2026 and beyond because it's a massive undertaking. New power units, new gearboxes, new aerodynamics, new fuels and lubricants – it is a completely new challenge.
"What we have at the moment is a World Championship dominated by aerodynamics. Everything else is secondary because there aren't significant improvements to be made elsewhere. The objective from the FIA and F1 with the new regulations is to rebalance things a little bit.
"The new regulations rest on three pillars: aerodynamics remain very important; powertrain becomes very important – especially in the early years of the reboot; and finally, weight becomes crucial, because the targets that have been set for minimum weight are very, very challenging. The desire to have these lighter, more nimble cars is a huge engineering test."
What do you think of the 2026 regulations?
"I've warmed to these new regulations over the last few months and after discussing them with a few people. The FIA and F1 have a plan, with the goal of ensuring we get exciting racing. The regulations are not finalised yet, and the FIA are actively collaborating with the teams. They're the governing body, they could theoretically do what they please, but they want the teams' input and support on which areas to free-up, what to restrict.
"What they're keen to avoid are huge performance leaps between seasons and the potential for dominance by one team. It's not good for the show. This is why they've been very cautious and very restrictive so far. It's also why some teams have been very unhappy and made this unhappiness known via the media.
"In my opinion, if we work with the FIA, we can make an exciting product, have great racing, see moderate performance gains year-on-year that will not distort the spectacle. And in doing this, we can keep the sport growing, have sensible regulation and a strong competition.
"We can also create something the fans can understand. This is very important and often underestimated. We shouldn't be in a position where the technology needs to endlessly be explained. There is a constituency among F1 fans that wants the deep dive into the tech – and as an engineer I'm more than happy to accommodate and encourage that – but it's not the majority of fans. What is common across F1's entire fan base, is that everyone wants to be able to talk about great drivers racing great cars."
Bob Bell, Andy Cowell, Enrico Cardile, the team has announced a number of high-profile recruits in recent months. Can we expect any more ‘big-name’ signings? Adrian Newey is about to become a free agent...
"We're still in a period of growth – but I think we have to be open-minded and dynamic, in terms of personnel as well as car development. This isn't a sport that rewards consolidation.
"Obviously, that has to be constructed around a stable core. You need to have routines and you need to have trust and establishing that trust can take a long time – but you should never sit back and say 'we are fine'. There's always a need to be looking at what you can do better, what you can change. Doesn't necessarily mean you make that change – but you have to keep asking the question.
"We've announced several new members of the senior management team over the last few months, and each time someone new arrives, I'm asked the question: 'Is that the last piece in the puzzle?' It isn't. It never is. We'll continue to look at recruitment, because perhaps there's somebody else out there that's going to make us better.
"I say 'out there'. It's important to never forget that we have a lot of talent within the team that we're consistently trying to develop and bring up through the organisation. You look outside because the organisation has to stay dynamic, has to be open to new perspectives, but we need to give the team that's already here the opportunity to mature, to express itself, to naturally migrate to areas of greater responsibility."
Is the team still a work in progress?
"Very much so, but the same can be said of any F1 team – you're constantly evolving, constantly finding ways to improve and get stronger. We're expanding to the point of parity with the front-running teams in terms of numbers, and when the AMR Technology Campus is completed, we'll have a best-in-class facility for making F1 cars that also provides a pleasant, inspiring and empowering environment in which to work, and a useful tool for recruitment that also hits all of our sustainability targets."
Finally, what were your parting words to the team before the summer break?
"Back at the AMR Technology Campus after Spa, I addressed the team and said, first of all, everyone should take the two weeks and relax. They've worked hard, they need a break… but I also said that, if they think about work at all, it's a good opportunity, in a less stressful environment, to reflect on what we're doing, how we are doing things and what we might do better.
"That's what I'll be doing. Maybe there's a tweak to how you're working, maybe a way of doing the job a little better. If someone comes back with an idea for how they can do something better, I think it moves all of us in a better direction – but don’t work on holiday because it's a holiday!
"I'm looking forward to the second half of the campaign, and I'm proud of the team for the focus and determination they have shown. The mood is positive, and everyone is giving their all. Whether it's reliability trackside, progress in aerodynamic development, the speed with which production and our supply chain are delivering new parts, every metric other than championship points says we're heading in the right direction. I'm confident we're on the right path."
Interesting that Krack who is always so measured and cautious is now on the contrary confident & quite bullish statements. Hmm.
