Aston Martin’s Formula 1 boss Mike Krack has dismissed the idea that the team’s shared use of Mercedes’ wind tunnel is to blame for their poor performance in the 2024 season. Krack insists that attributing their lack of pace to sharing facilities with Mercedes would be an “easy excuse” and emphasizes that other factors are at play.
After a promising start in 2023, which saw Aston Martin secure six podiums in the first eight races, the team’s form dwindled, and their development faltered as the season progressed. In 2024, Aston Martin initially positioned itself as the fifth fastest team but has since struggled, finding itself embroiled in a midfield battle alongside Haas, Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri, and Williams.
Krack is adamant that using Mercedes’ wind tunnel, even with limited access, is not the reason for Aston Martin’s decline. “We have another team using the same wind tunnel with less time. So this is not an excuse,” Krack stated, highlighting that other teams have managed to find success under similar constraints.
Currently, Aston Martin finds itself fifth in the Constructors’ standings with 86 points, a significant 243 points behind Mercedes. This gulf in performance, despite both teams utilizing the same wind tunnel, suggests that Aston Martin’s challenges run deeper than just access to development tools. “With the same tool, we could do better,” Krack acknowledged, underlining that there are areas beyond the wind tunnel that the team needs to address.
However, Aston Martin’s reliance on Mercedes’ facility will soon come to an end. The team’s new state-of-the-art wind tunnel at their revamped Silverstone headquarters is scheduled to be operational early next year. This development is part of team owner Lawrence Stroll’s broader vision to transform Aston Martin into a top contender in Formula 1.
In addition to the new wind tunnel, Aston Martin is preparing for a significant overhaul. The team has secured a works engine partnership with Honda, set to begin in 2026. Furthermore, Aston Martin has strengthened its technical lineup with the upcoming additions of Enrico Cardile as Chief Technical Officer and the legendary Adrian Newey as Managing Technical Partner, beginning in 2025. These strategic moves are part of Stroll’s long-term plan to bring the team to the forefront of the grid.
Krack emphasizes that while these future developments are exciting, they cannot be used as justification for Aston Martin’s current underperformance. “If you are a team in the building process, it’s not only to put the wind tunnel there but also to have the technology and the methodology and the way you go about testing,” he explained. Aston Martin, which has operated as a customer team for many years, now faces the challenge of building its own infrastructure while simultaneously developing a competitive car.
Krack believes that Aston Martin must tackle both tasks head-on. “You have that part [the wind tunnel] that has to be developed, but you have also a car to be developed, and you must not use one to excuse the other,” he stated. For Krack and Aston Martin, the focus remains on maximizing their current resources and performance, ensuring that they lay a strong foundation for the future while striving for better results in the present.
