Aston Martin F1 Chief Opens Up On Performance Struggles And Turnaround Difficulties

Aston Martin F1 team principal addresses challenges with performance struggles and turnaround difficulties due to failed upgrades compared to competitors.

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll (18) during F1 qualifying for Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Aston Martin's F1 team principal, Mike Krack, has addressed the challenges the team faces as they grapple with significant performance struggles. Opening strong at the start of the season, Aston Martin's initial hopes have dimmed as they've failed to keep pace with crucial upgrades, leaving them trailing in the developmental race.

Last season, the team emerged from the winter break as a formidable contender, nearly chasing down the likes of Red Bull and ranking impressively among the top five teams based on race pace. However, this year tells a different story, with the team stagnating at fifth position, a stark 193 points behind fourth place Mercedes by the summer break.

During an interview with Autosport, Krack explained:

"We had an expectation that we were around the fifth fastest team in race pace and I think we confirmed that in the early races [with] glimpses of maybe slightly better performance in qualifying.

"Then, when we started to develop the car it just went in the wrong direction. We did not manage to add performance with the update and the competition did.

"If you do not move forward, you get passed, and I think that's a fair summary of the first half.

"When we look at our relative performance, we can identify Imola as one of the points because everybody brings upgrades to Imola.

"If yours is not delivering what you expect and the others do – which I do not know, but I have to assume – you take a step backwards. That's the harsh reality of Formula 1."

Aston Martin plans a 'technical reset,' aiming to overhaul the underlying issues hampering car development and performance.

"The most important [thing] is to understand why it didn't deliver what it was [supposed to be] delivering.

"The last two months, I have to say, has been really tough in terms of analysis because it is not like an instant discovery, ‘what is the problem?’

"It takes you a little bit of time to analyse this. Then you have to take action to change it, then you have to make the parts.

"At the same time, there are five, six, seven, eight races in that time where you just accumulate negative results.

"It leads to a very high expectation of what you are going to do and what it is going to fix. So, what we have decided is to take a little bit of a different approach because it has not delivered what we expected it to deliver, but it is more like a little restart and building on that restart.

"Again, it's about managing expectations. A turnaround in such an intense season is not something that you do in five minutes.

"That is something that we all need to be aware of and be confident that the change of approach that we have taken now will bring the performance that we want to bring."

Looking ahead, Krack confirms a shift in expectations and a careful, structured approach to their developmental strategy.

"Obviously, you want to adjust the way you do things at the same time.

"But I would say it's rather a technical restart or how you put the car there, how you approach the aerodynamic development, and then also [understanding], ‘what is the process that has led us to this?’"