Aston Martin’s Mike Krack: “We will work hard to improve our car for the Australian Grand Prix”

Mike Krack, the Team Principal of the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team, admitted it was disappointing for the team not to score points during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but they will head home to their Silverstone base with the aim of improving the AMR22 before the Australian Grand Prix.

Nico Hülkenberg was the best placed of the two drivers at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit despite being compromised by the timing of the safety car, the German ending twelfth as he stepped into Sebastian Vettel’s seat for a second consecutive weekend.

Lance Stroll ended the day thirteenth after losing time and two positions after contact with Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon, the contact causing minor damage.

Aston Martin remain as one of just two teams – along with Williams – not yet to have scored points in 2022, but Krack says the team will be doing everything they can to improve the car and give their drivers the chance of breaking into the top ten ahead of the third round of the season in Australia.

“We decided to split our tyre strategy today – Lance started on Mediums, Nico on Hards – and the Safety Car that was deployed as a result of [Nicholas] Latifi’s lap-sixteen accident at Turn twenty-seven disadvantaged those who had started on Hards,” said Krack.

“After that, Nico was always on the back foot, but he drove a solid race all the same and ended up twelfth. Lance moved up a place at the start, was soon passed by [Lewis] Hamilton, then reported a handling imbalance.

“Within a few laps of the end he was running eleventh, but he then had a coming-together with [Alex] Albon, sustaining light damage to his car. He was forced to slow, but he brought the car home, albeit lapped.

“Obviously we are disappointed not to have scored any points today, but from here we will travel back to Silverstone, where we will work hard to improve our car for the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.”