Mike Krack has reaffirmed his commitment to the Aston Martin project amid speculation he could quit to join Audi.
The German carmaker will officially enter Formula 1 in 2026 but the process of transforming the current Sauber outfit into its works team is already well under way. However, a bombshell was dropped this week when it was announced that CEO Andrea Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffmann had been axed.
Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has been drafted in to take over as chief operating officer and chief technical officer. And several publications in Europe have claimed that Aston Martin team principal Krack, 52, could be next through the door as team principal.
But, sitting down with Mirror Sport at the Belgian Grand Prix, he made it clear he remains committed to Aston Martin's own ambitious project. And the former BMW Sauber engineer also offered a theory as to why his name has been linked with a return to the Hinwil-based squad.
He said: "I think a lot of this comes about because I worked there for a very long time. I have a lot of friends still there and I see these friends from time to time.
"Maybe there's an element of people could put one and one together - why is he in Switzerland? Because the godfather of my son is working there! If I have friends there, I cannot abandon my friends because of that.
"I have here the project of a lifetime, where you have someone investing so much to become a big team and to be part of that is an opportunity for everybody. So my focus is on this project, '25, and '26 is a huge challenge in front of us. That is where my thoughts are."
At Aston Martin, Krack is tasked with leading the push to execute billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll's ambitious vision for the team. Like many other teams, they are looking at the upcoming 2026 regulations changes as a huge opportunity to push themselves into contention for race wins and championships - and that side of the project is all systems go.
He added: "2026 is coming fast! A lot of concept studies are being done, the simulations are running, the [engine] collaboration with Honda has started. People are often looking now at '26, but what comes after? There is also a regulations cycle after... 2030 is the talk. You have to establish yourself among these top brands.
"You cannot predict that you will win every championship from '26 to 2030, because it is too competitive and we have a lot of respect for our competitors. But you have to establish yourself within this league - like the Premier League, there are always five or six in the [top] group of teams. If you manage to be there, you will get your opportunities."
2024-07-26T10:26:31Z dg43tfdfdgfd