Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has spoken about the team’s difficult 2024 Formula 1 campaign, admitting that results fell significantly short of expectations. Despite finishing fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, the Silverstone-based team’s points total of 94 marks a clear decline—176 points fewer than in 2023.
A season of decline: “We cannot be happy”
Aston Martin began the 2024 season hoping to capitalize on its strong start the previous year, but the team’s performance gradually declined after the summer break. Fernando Alonso, who had been a consistent performer during the first half of the season, only managed to score 19 points after the summer. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll did not score any points during this same period.
“We delivered below expectations, so we can’t be happy with how our season went,” Krack said bluntly. “If the championship had started in the summer, we would not finish in P5.”
Krack highlighted the team’s development struggles, noting that their mid-season updates failed to keep pace with rival teams. “The improvements we made to the car didn’t improve it,” he admitted. “We have now, two years in a row, not really managed to progress from our starting point, but rather to go backwards.”
Development problems and high pressure
Krack identified Aston Martin’s lackluster development curve as a key factor in its struggles, highlighting the team’s inability to effectively improve the AMR24 against competing cars.
“Regardless of our final position, the development curve of others has been much better than ours,” he explained. “The finishing positions of the first eight or nine races of 2023 added a lot of pressure on the whole system.”
-That pressure may have led to hasty decisions, Krack suggested, as the team looked for quick fixes that didn’t yield the desired results. “Should we have waited maybe a step or two until they were actually proven properly? Or have we just rushed things because the pressure is on?”
A need for personal reflection
Krack emphasized that the team must take a critical and in-depth approach to understanding its shortcomings. “You can’t just say, ‘That’s it, that’s it.’ The standard is too high not to look very carefully at what you’re doing,” he said.
He stressed the importance of thoroughly analyzing decisions, admitting that self-criticism would be key to reversing the trend of underperformance. “Did we make the right decisions at the right time? Were we effective enough in how we implemented the changes? These are all questions we need to answer.”
Looking ahead: Rebuilding for 2025
Aston Martin’s 2024 season has highlighted the importance of long-term planning and strategic decision-making in Formula 1. Although the team’s fifth place finish is still respectable, Krack’s remarks indicate that the processes Internal and development strategies will be closely scrutinized as they aim to regain their competitiveness.
For Aston Martin to regain its footing, Krack and his team will need to tackle the fundamental issues that have held back progress over the past two seasons. With a crucial offseason ahead, the team is in the spotlight to deliver a car in 2025 that can compete with the sport’s leading manufacturers.
