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- Aston Martin has appointed Mike Krack as the new team boss.
- The Silverstone-based team has been managed by Otmar Szafnauer since mid-2018.
- Aston Martin finished only seventh in last year’s Constructors’ Championship and only once made the podium.
Aston Martin has appointed Mike Krack as the new team boss of its Formula 1 team.
The Silverstone-based team has been managed by Otmar Szafnauer since mid-2018 but his departure from the organization was confirmed last week. Krack joins Aston Martin from BMW, where he has worked since 2014 and most recently managed global motorsport activities, including programs in Formula E and IMSA.
Krack had overseen BMW’s planned expansion into the LMDh category for IMSA and WEC, but he will now move to the helm of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.
He previously worked for BMW Sauber in Formula 1 in the 2000s – briefly crossing paths with a young Sebastian Vettel – as well as for Porsche.
“Aston Martin is one of the greatest automotive brands in the world and to have been asked to play a leading role in delivering the Formula 1 success on the race track that such a famous name so well deserves is a challenge I do energy and enthusiasm,” said Krack. I have been working in motorsport for over 20 years and worked with Seb in Formula 1 in 2006 and 2007 when I was BMW-Sauber engineer and he was the team’s test driver. I have a lot of respect for his speed and skill and it will be fantastic to be reunited with him.
“Lance Stroll is also a very fast and talented rider with 100 Grand Prix starts and I am really looking forward to working closely with him. Team Silverstone has always impressed me. It’s full of talented people and real racers. The culture and values of this racing driver are the prerequisites for being successful in motorsport.”
Aston Martin finished just seventh in last year’s Constructors’ Championship and only once on the podium, but has long-term ambitions to challenge for the Formula 1 title. It is building new facilities on land surrounding its existing Silverstone premises acquired from team owner Lawrence Stroll, including a new wind tunnel and simulator.
It has also invested heavily in new staff, including Red Bull Racing’s Dan Fallows and Alfa Romeo’s Luca Furbatto, although Fallows is launching court proceedings amid Red Bull Racing’s claims that he will not be able to join until July 2023.
“Winning Formula 1 is about bringing together the best efforts of all the key players – drivers, engineers, mechanics, everyone – and Mike is perfect for that,” said Stroll. “We hire brilliant new people every week. Our new factory construction is progressing very well. We have a fantastic list of excellent sponsor partners.
“We are about to start the second year of our five-year plan, which aims to win the Formula 1 World Championship. All the ingredients we need come together. Mike will play a central and senior role, reporting to (Group Chief Executive Officer) Martin Whitmarsh and leading our technical and operational functions, with our common goal being to deliver on these lofty ambitions. We are on our way.”
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