Aston Martin announce Mike Krack as Team Principal

Krack succeeds Otmar Szafnauer as team boss for the British team.

British Formula One team Aston Martin Cognizant have announced Mike Krack as their new Team Principal. Krack will be replacing Otmar Szafnauer.

Krack started his Formula One journey with Sauber in 2001 and became their Chief Engineer. He stayed with Sauber until 2009, after which he had short stints at F3 and DTM before joining Porsche WEC in 2012 as Head of Track Engineering. He went to BMW in 2014 and was their global motorsport operations’ head. The role saw Krack in charge of BMW’s Formula E, GT and IMSA programmes, and he also worked on the planned expansion into the new LMDh formula for IMSA & WEC including the Le Mans 24 Hours. Krack has also previously worked with Porsche in a senior motorsport role.

Speaking about his new role, Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin Cognizant, commented:

“It is a thrill and an honour to have been appointed to the position of Team Principal of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, and I am very grateful to Lawrence [Stroll] and Martin [Whitmarsh] for giving me such a fantastic opportunity.

“Aston Martin is one of the greatest automotive brands in the world, and to have been asked to play a leading role in delivering the on-track Formula One success that such an illustrious name so richly deserves is a challenge that I plan to embrace with energy and enthusiasm.

“I have been working in motorsport for over 20 years, and worked in Formula One with Seb Vettel in 2006 and 2007 when I was a BMW-Sauber engineer and he was the team’s test driver.

“I have huge respect for his speed and ability, and it will be fantastic to be reunited with him. Lance Stroll is a seriously fast and talented driver, too, with 100 Grands Prix starts to his name, and I am very much looking forward to working closely with him.

“Team Silverstone has always impressed me. It is full of talented people and real racers. That racer’s culture and values are what is required to succeed in motorsport – I know that and my new colleagues at Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team know it, too. We will work incredibly hard. We want to win. Together, we will.”

Martin Whitmarsh, Group Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin Cognizant, added:

“Mike Krack is exactly the right kind of dynamic and modern Team Principal who, working with our other senior leaders under Lawrence’s [Stroll] and my overall direction, as well as with our ever-growing staff of skilled and committed employees, will deliver the Formula One World Championship success that we at Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team are so determined to achieve.

“Having worked in very senior motorsport positions at both BMW and Porsche, backed by an engineering background in Formula One with Sauber, Mike possesses a blend of experience and expertise that makes him the ideal choice for us.

“He works well with drivers, having prioritised that aspect of his role at BMW in recent years, and also with engineers, since he speaks their language.”

Lawrence Stroll, Chairman, Aston Martin Lagonda and Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, stated:

“Winning in Formula One is all about bringing together the best efforts of all the principal players – drivers, engineers, mechanics, everyone – and Mike is perfectly placed to do just that.

“We are hiring brilliant new people every week. Our new factory build is coming along very well. We have a fantastic roster of superb sponsor-partners. We are about to embark on year two of our five-year plan, the objective of which is to win Formula One World Championships.”

Krack’s predecessor, Szafnauer, had been with the team since 2009 and was promoted to the role of Team Principal in 2018. After his departure, it was rumoured that Martin Whitmarsh could take up the role, as the latter had previously held the same role with McLaren. Reports also suggested that Alpine’s former Executive Director Marcin Budkowski could join, but neither speculation proved accurate. Szafnauer is now rumoured to replace Marcin Budkowski at Alpine.

After a disappointing season for one of Formula One’s strongest midfield teams that saw them finish a lowly seventh, Krack’s main responsibility for the upcoming season will be to take Aston Martin further up the grid.

Aston Martin also became the first team on the grid to announce the date for the launch of their 2022 challenger, the AMR22. The launch will take place on February 10, 2022, at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters.