F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Krack: Aston must not wait for Newey to turn around fortunes

Aston Martin F1 team boss Mike Krack has made clear that his crews cannot afford to sit idle and wait for the arrival of Adrian Newey to bring about a turnaround in its on-track performance.

The legendary designer, whose move from Red Bull to Aston Martin is a major coup for Canadian billionaire and team owner Lawrence Stroll, will join the Silverstone-based outfit on March 1, 2025.

The partnership between Stroll's bold vision and Newey's technical brilliance is expected to be a game-changer for Aston as it looks to battle at the sharp end of the grid.

Aston Martin, which enjoyed podium contention in the first half of last season with Fernando Alonso, has seen its performance gradually slip to stabilize in F1's midfield.

But battling for lower-ranking points instead of fighting among the front-runners is not an acceptable state of affairs as far as Krack is concerned.

While the prospect of Newey joining is exciting, especially in the context of the upcoming 2026 regulations, Krack insists that Aston Martin must use the intervening period to step up its game.

Speaking about how hard it is to balance the excitement for Newey with the team's current difficulties, Krack acknowledged: “Very hard. “Absolutely.”

“But I think we should also use '25 as an opportunity to show Adrian what we can do. I think that should serve as a motivation for all of us,” he added, quoted by Motorsport.com.

©AstonMartin

While Newey currently remains involved with the development of Red Bull's RB17 hypercar, the Briton is no longer part of the Formula 1 team, having officially started his period of gardening leave.

The extent to which Krack can seek input from Newey before its official start date is still under review.

“I don't know,” he said. “I need to check with our legal department.

“I think you need to be very careful with these things. You know, we do not want to get into legal [matters] going forward. That wouldn't just feel right.”

Regarding Aston's current form, which has left it just fifth in F1's Constructors' standings, a massive 243 points behind fourth-placed team Mercedes, Krack acknowledged his outfit's shortcomings.

“We are not where we want to be,” he said. “Our target was clearly to close the gap to the top four teams.

“At the beginning of the season, we knew that we were around the fifth-fastest at the time, and the target was to close that gap.

“We have not managed that. Others have more caught up than we have closed. So that is the reality and that is something we have to understand and address.”

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

12 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 São Paulo GP

Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…

13 hours ago

Jos Verstappen rips British media after Brazilian Max fest

Jos Verstappen wasted no time after his son spectacular win at the São Paulo Grand…

15 hours ago

Leclerc left with ‘mixed feelings’ after disappointing Sao Paulo GP

Charles Leclerc's weekend in Sao Paulo was unfortunately a stark contrast to Ferrari's recent triumphs…

16 hours ago

Back when Kimi knew exactly what he was doing

Twelve years ago on this day, Kimi Raikkonen took a popular win at the 2012…

18 hours ago

Mercedes fined for starting grid tyre pressure infringement

The Mercedes team was hit with a fine by the FIA after Sunday’s Sao Paulo…

19 hours ago