Mike Krack: “Sharing the wind tunnel with Mercedes should not be an excuse”
The Aston Martin director, Mike Krack, revealed that some issues may have been the causes of the team's difficulties this season. However, the Luxembourger does not want to use this as a reason to explain the lack of results of the car.
It’s a season that Aston Martin will try to forget quickly. After a successful 2023 season, with Fernando Alonso clinching eight podiums, including seven in the first 18 races, the momentum has completely reversed this season. The team still hasn’t made it to the podium, with a fifth place as their best result so far at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Despite a similar position in the constructors’ standings compared to last year, with a fifth place, the team based in Silverstone scored 150 points less. Freefalling performances that have been analyzed by Mike Krack, director of Aston Martin team.
A direction in development that was not good
Luxembourger revealed that the team simply went in the wrong direction in the development of the car, particularly with an upgrade at Imola that was insufficient. Aston Martin has not fixed the balance and handling issues that its cars have been experiencing this season. We also saw that it is difficult to drive. We had some off-track excursions during the weekend. Yesterday’s one actually impacted us the most, as we were really struggling from that moment on, Mike Krack declared after the Imola Grand Prix. Unfortunately, since that race, the British team has still not managed to turn the tide and seems to even be losing ground on the leading teams, with teams like Haas or Williams catching up behind.
For Mike Krack, the team must not look for excuses.
A performance delay that can be explained by several factors. Mike Krack explained that sharing the wind tunnel with Mercedes, due to their engine partnership, probably cost time in developing the car this season. However, the Luxembourgish engineer admitted that this should not be used as an excuse for the team’s poor form this season, pointing out that Mercedes managed to improve despite having less wind tunnel time than Aston Martin. « I think it would be too easy an excuse. We have another team using the same wind tunnel with less time. So, it’s not an excuse. We are still quite far behind that team. So, it may be a factor for them. It may be one for us too, but I believe that with the same tool, we could do better. »
Read also: Aston Martin should not wait for Adrian Newey’s arrival to progress
For Mike Krack, the limited use of the wind tunnel cannot explain all the team’s difficulties this season, as this tool is not the only one that allows for the development and optimization of the car. In addition, Lawrence Stroll’s team has colossal means thanks to the Canadian billionaire and must therefore be able to find solutions to its problems. If you are a team in the process of being built, it is not just about installing the wind tunnel, but also having the technology, methodology, and way to proceed with the tests. The same goes for simulation. You have this part [the wind tunnel] that needs to be developed, but you also have a car to develop, and you must not use one to excuse the other.
A new wind tunnel at Aston Martin in 2025
This concern should however be quickly resolved, Aston Martin having built a brand new state-of-the-art wind tunnel which will open its doors on January 1, 2025, when aerodynamic testing on 2026 cars will be allowed. With the recruitment of Adrian Newey, the British team now has no more excuses not to perform well.
