Aston Martin replaced long time team principal Otmar Szafnauer with Mike Krack after the former left for Alpine ahead of the 2022 season.
The Aston Martin name made a return to F1 in 2021, after the rebranding of Racing Point. The Silverstone based outfit however, have been in F1 for a long time, and have raced under different names.
Szafnauer was with the team for the majority of their F1 stint. However, ahead of the 2022 campaign, he left them to join French team Alpine, leaving behind some big boots to fill.
Aston Martin decided to appoint Mike Krack as their team principal ahead of the 2022 season. The Luxembourgish previously worked in the BMW Sauber F1 programme, and has also played his part in the WEC, F3 and Formula-E Series.
“I think you have to approach this in a humble way. You have to first come here and understand how this team is working, because we must not forget this team Silverstone is a great team.” MIKE KRACK EVERYONE!
— cia (@f1sv5) March 4, 2022
The team’s 2021 season was disappointing to say the least. Sebastian Vettel managed to get a podium finish for them in Baku, but they spent the vast majority of the campaign scrambling around the lower-midfield region.
Hopes are once again high from the British team in 2022, and Krack feels that they have what it takes to fight at the front.
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Formula 1 is like the Champions League, says the new Aston Martin boss
Krack returned to F1 after a gap of 12 years. Upon his return now, he admits that a lot has changed, and he needed some time to adjust to it.
“To compare it to F1 when I left, to be honest with you, it is not comparable,” said Krack. “It has evolved so much here. Even one year in F1 is an eternity! “When you look back at old Grands Prix from 2009 or 2010, it’s not only the cars that look old fashioned but the whole system.”
He went on to say that his new team has all the ‘ingredients’ to reach the summit of F1. He compared F1 to the Champions League, stating that everyone who takes part, aims to win.
Time to focus on plenty of learnings from this week, but we’re excited for what’s to come.
Catch up with @lance_stroll and hear his thoughts on the Barcelona test. 👇
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) February 27, 2022
“I think Formula 1 is like Champions League. And every professional football player wants to play Champions League. It’s the same for motorsport engineers or drivers,” he added.
“Now, obviously, you cannot switch and be winning from the first day of a season, others have tried and for very long.”
“But at the end of the day, it’s a huge challenge but it’s also a huge opportunity there that we have now. And with that brand, with the Aston Martin brand, I think we have all the ingredients that you need to be successful.”
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