Krak: Our goal is to finish both cars in the top ten

Before the start of the race weekend in Melbourne, Aston Martin F1 team principal Mike Krak shared his impressions of the start of the season and his expectations for the Australian Grand Prix.

Question: How do you view the start of the 2024 season?
Mike Krak: We started the season with confidence and earned points in both races. Someone will compare our results in the first two stages with those of a year ago, when we climbed to the podium, but we must remember that some of our rivals were not in the best form at the time and we took advantage of that.

By the end of last season we were around fifth in pace, which better reflected the balance of power at the time, and it was in these positions that we expected to be at the start of this championship. In the races we compete for positions in the top five and we are slightly faster in qualifying.

In Bahrain we showed the best possible result considering the speed our car is capable of. In Saudi Arabia the team exceeded its capabilities thanks to Fernando Alonso driving fantastically and taking 5th place.

13 points after two races is a good result, but we are preparing a lot of technical innovations and the whole team is doing a good job and working effectively both on the track and at the grassroots at Silverstone.

Question: What did the team learn about the new car in the first two stages?
Mike Krak: The first two stages confirmed that we have made a step forward compared to last year. For example, in qualifying in Bahrain we were seven tenths faster than then, and in Jeddah we were nine tenths faster.

We understand the AMR24 better and better, it is a fast car, especially in qualifying, and in recent weeks we have tried to improve the balance of the chassis so that Lance Stroll and Fernando can better exploit the car’s potential.

Our goal is to close the gap with the leaders, we are already making progress and in Melbourne we will introduce several small technical innovations – this is part of our plan to modernize the chassis throughout the season.

Q: Pirelli tire makers brought the softest rubber compounds to Melbourne – a step softer than last year. What influence could this have on the course of the weekend?
Mike Krak: Normally the Australian Grand Prix takes place with one pit stop, but that’s why Pirelli brought softer tires to change tactics in favor of two pit stops.

Calculations show that the schedule remains optimal with a single stop in the pits, but we have seen more than once that the Australian Grand Prix can take place according to an unpredictable scenario. There is a good chance that a safety car will appear here and you have to be ready to react and quickly adjust tactics.

Question: The time difference between London and Melbourne is 11 hours. How do you adapt to time zone changes?
Mike Krak: Most team members are already used to traveling and know what measures need to be taken to prepare for this, they know that they need to drink a lot and go to bed earlier.

Although Melbourne is very far from Europe, the Australian Grand Prix is ​​always considered one of the highlights of the season, and when Formula 1 comes to tour in this city there is a great atmosphere, the fans enthusiastically support the teams, and this gives everyone extra energy.

Q: What are the challenges facing Aston Martin F1 this weekend?
Mike Krak: We want to continue what we started in Jeddah. In Melbourne it is important to qualify as well as possible and find the right approach to the tires.

In terms of characteristics, the Albert Park circuit is closer to Jeddah than to Bahrain, but that doesn’t mean we can finish fifth again, because in Saudi Arabia Fernando simply performed great, which allowed us to show such a result. . We have to stay realistic, stay focused and want both cars to finish in the top ten.