F1 News

Mike Krack on Adrian Newey and hoping to close the gap at the front

Krack hopes "to make substantial steps" with Newey at Aston Martin

Today at 18:00
  • Olly Darcy
  • Editor

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack believes it is "possible" for Aston Martin to close the gap at the front of the grid as a result of signing Adrian Newey. The master designer left Red Bull and their F1 operations after the Miami Grand Prix, and after months of speculation, the Brit was officially announced as designer for the British team, starting on March 1, 2025.

Aston Martin has a big gap to bridge towards the top teams. Currently, the British team is fifth in the constructors' championship. With the recruitment of Adrian Newey, the aim is to close that gap, but how realistic is that goal? Mike Krack answered that question in Singapore.

Newey will come in and focus on the Aston Martin car for the 2026 season onwards, hoping to make the most of the regulation change that will grace the sport. However, there will be some work to do, as the British team have not had a hugely successful 2024, currently sitting fifth in the constructors' championship, miles away from the podiums they were earning in the 2023 season.

Difficult times for Aston Martin until Newey's arrival?

But with Newey not arriving at Aston Martin unit the 2025 season begins, there is the worry that it may be another season of disappointment for Aston Martin. But team boss Krack hopes that they can show what they are capable of to the master designer: "I think we should use 2025 as an opportunity to show Adrian what we can do. I think that should serve as motivation for all of us."

However, Krack is also aware that Newey cannot have any influence on the Aston Martin car until March 1, otherwise, there could be huge problems for the team: "I think you need to be very careful with these things. We do not want to get into legal [problems] going forward. It would just not feel right."

Can Newey help Aston Martin close the gap to the top teams?

But with the signing of the 65-year-old designer, there are high hopes at the Silverstone factory. And after the performances from Aston Martin in 2023, Krack knows that there is potential for some great performances in a Newey-designed car: "We have seen this year or last year and this year with McLaren and Mercedes. We were level with Mercedes at the beginning of the season for the first races, and then they have won four races in a row [actually three times in four races, ed.]. It is possible to make substantial steps with these regulations if you get the car stable and behaving the way the drivers want it. So it is not this pure race for downforce that you used to have in the past where it's really difficult to close [the gap]. Here it is more about getting the stability, getting the balance and the [tyre] load."

This article was created in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut