Mike Krak: The goal is to maintain fourth place

With six rounds remaining before the end of the season, Aston Martin sits in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, 49 points ahead of McLaren. On the eve of the Qatar Grand Prix, Silverstone team manager Mike Krak announced the aim of maintaining the current position until the end of the season.

Q: The team earned points in Japan, but unfortunately Lance retired. How do you assess the team’s performance in Suzuka?
Mike Krak: The last few races have been difficult in terms of speed, efficiency and reliability. We have to do it 100% correctly and achieve the same reliability if we want to improve the results of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

Lance had to retire due to rear wing problems, but Fernando earned points. To be honest, this was not the level of performance we expected from ourselves. We have to keep working and not give up.

Question: Have the results of recent races changed the approach to the development of the AMR23 in any way? Will the team continue to bring new products at each stage?
Mike Krak: Constant development of the car has been our philosophy all year round. We continue to prepare new items that will appear on the car until the stage in Abu Dhabi. Given the stability of the regulations, we will be able to use these updates in the new car, so we do not stop working. The team will continue to attack to finish the season strong.

Question: Can fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship at the end of the season be considered a high result?
Mike Krak: Yes, at least fourth place. That is the goal for the remaining six races. The team is currently fourth in the Constructors’ Championship and we cannot forget that we have achieved great results this year with seven podium finishes.

With every race the team continues to learn and grow. We are in a tough battle against strong opponents and will not give up without a fight.

Q: What results can the team expect this weekend?
Mike Krak: We are happy to be back in Qatar. This circuit has a mix of medium and fast corners and is comparable to Suzuka in this respect. Therefore, we can expect the same results to be repeated. We have drawn conclusions from the races in Singapore and Japan and will try to improve them. Every employee is willing to contribute. If we want to turn the tide, we have to work hard.

Question: The team has three test and reserve drivers: Felipe Drugovich, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jessica Hawkins. How useful is working with them for the team?
Mike Krak: Our team has a lot of talent and we are very proud of our riders. They all play an important role: they work on the simulator, participate in technical briefings and are always helpful.

All three have tested our cars this year, which gives them an insight into the technology, maintains a high competitiveness and demonstrates that we are investing in their development.