Mike Krack: "Aston Martin is no longer an outsider thanks to Newey's arrival"

After long weeks of waiting, the officialization finally took place. Adrian Newey, the ingenious designer of Red Bull, has committed to Aston Martin for five seasons with a £100 million contract. It was also announced that the Briton, who will join the Silverstone team starting from March 1, 2025, after his gardening leave period at Red Bull, will also become a shareholder of Aston Martin and will occupy the role of technical management partner, a newly created position by Lawrence Stroll.

An ambitious project at Aston Martin

With this new recruit, the British team demonstrates its ambitions and strength, outpacing all the other teams, like Ferrari, Alpine or Williams, to secure the services of the former McLaren engineer. For Mike Krack, this transfer adds credibility to the Aston Martin project, a plan that seemed less and less credible.

With the recruitment of Adrian Newey and other key team members from rival teams, such as Dan Fallows from Red Bull or Enrico Cardile from Ferrari, the Luxembourger believes that the team can no longer be considered an outsider. It now has a high-quality technical department capable of designing championship-winning cars. At the same time, these new recruits will bring their expertise on a daily basis and help young engineers gain experience at the highest level.

The arrival of Adrian Newey is therefore ideal for the Aston Martin project, and his presentation a few days ago has been very well received by all of the Aston Martin staff, including Fernando Alonso and Mike Krack, the Luxembourger emphasizing the importance of this recruitment for the future of the team, hoping that it will also give them a new impetus.

Newey: a man capable of bringing victory to Aston Martin.

« It's very exciting for all of us. I'm still smiling, can you see me smiling? » Krack declared to GPblog and other media in Baku. « I think it's fantastic news for us as a team. The excitement is huge. When the news came out, I mean, it was finally an open secret, but when it was announced internally, it was amazing to see 800 people applauding. » The Luxembourger then went on to emphasize that the arrival of Adrian Newey also strengthens the sporting aspect of Aston Martin, the Briton having designed many winning cars in the past, as well as the financial aspect, with the prospect of attracting new sponsors and drivers. Rumors even suggest a possible transfer of Max Verstappen to Aston Martin following this announcement.

« I think it will make a difference for everyone, starting with the staff. When you manage to engage Adrian Newey, it is first proof that the project is credible. [...] It is no longer the outsider team as in the past. It's a team that must have confidence in its abilities. But then, you also have a completely different approach with partners. And it's the same for the drivers. I think this opens up many doors for the future.

The need to prepare well for 2026.

However, Mike Krack is aware that the team will still have to work on its own for several months, as Newey will only be able to join the team at the beginning of 2025, preventing him from fully designing the 2026 car, a car on which the team based in Silverstone places great hopes. However, he acknowledges that some flexibility could be integrated into the design of the future car, allowing Newey to directly contribute to the project.

Honestly, there will still be enough time. Obviously, you shouldn't start with the aerodynamic work before January 1st, and everything related to packaging and such things will still be possible to change. The basic package is clear, with the engine and gearbox, then it's about making adjustments," the Luxembourger estimates. He does, however, recognize that this approach could lag behind other teams and that the technical restrictions imposed by the FIA in 2026 make the work of an engineer as talented as Adrian Newey less obvious. The team will have to be able to overcome these challenges if it wants to regain its place at the front of the grid.

« But we must not forget that regulation is also quite restrictive in some areas, so there is not as much freedom in certain areas. Then, it is up to us to adapt and adjust. We must be ready to possibly adjust the project plan a little to integrate new ideas or suggestions coming from thinking outside the box, or from a different angle. » The future of Aston Martin seems bright and it relies heavily on Adrian Newey and the new regulations in 2026 to become the most successful team on the grid.