A Sprint weekend, a contract extension for Lance, the unsung heroes of the set-up operation and a great result for Jak. There's plenty for Team Principal Mike Krack to discuss ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.
Another week, another circuit. It's only a few days since we left Barcelona, but once again the logistics operation that underpins F1 has worked a miracle and we're ready to go again in Spielberg. This is a tough weekend with the Sprint format reducing practice to a single session – there's a lot to learn and not much time to do it in. Between this, our weekend in Spain and the extension of Lance's contract, Team Principal Mike Krack has plenty to discuss this week.
This is Mike on...
Support in Barcelona
"I think I met more fans in Barcelona than I have at any other race. Lots of chats, lots of pictures and selfies. Lots of positivity and messages of good luck. Thousands of green shirts. I'm sorry we didn't give the drivers a better car and get a better result for all our fans. After the race you, our fans, were still there offering us encouragement. I hope when we go to Barcelona next year, we can really give everyone something to cheer about."
The race in Spain
"The different results across Canada and Spain are a good example of how very tight the field is at the moment. In Montréal, Fernando and Lance made it through to Q3, respectively by 56- and 32-thousandths of a second. That was good, we got to drive in clear air, not much traffic, and came home with a good haul of points.
"In Spain, we missed out by 19-thousandths, eliminated in Q2. It's not a big difference in time – but at the moment, it makes all the difference to the result. You can't help but play a game of 'what if'. What if we'd found that time, maybe qualified in front of the Alpines, driven in free air, brought home the points? Instead, you're stuck in traffic, can't score and are feeling frustrated afterwards. The margins are so fine at the moment – little details have a big impact on your weekend."
A big weekend for Jak
"A bright point in Spain was Jak Crawford winning the Formula 2 Feature Race. Jak did a perfect job, starting in Free Practice, continuing into Qualifying, keeping his head down in the Sprint and scoring good points with a clever drive on the semi-reverse grid, and then an excellent victory. I'm really happy for him, and you can see in the championship table that a win makes a big difference. String two or three good weekends like that together and you can challenge for the F2 title."
Maximising in Austria
"I mentioned last week that the triple-header was likely to be tough for us. Barcelona was a first taste of it and the Red Bull Ring is a track of a similar character – but it is a short track, the gaps will be even smaller, which means, if you are perfect with everything, you can make up a little bit of ground.
"Because we have the Sprint format this weekend, and thus just one practice session, we have to use our time in practice very well. Essentially, the car is what we had in Spain, not too many test items, straight into race mode, trying to maximise absolutely everything. There's also plenty of rain around. These are threats but also opportunities. We'll be doing our best to get something."
Unsung heroes
"There's a lot being said about the challenges that come with triple-headers. It is definitely hard work – but not everyone suffers equally. For me and the engineers, it's relatively easy. We leave the track on Sunday evening in Barcelona, turn up again a couple of days later in Austria and walk back in, ready to go again.
"For the garage technicians, the riggers, the truckies, the catering staff, it's a different story. They're flat out, on the absolute limit, rushing furiously to get the job done. It's a huge logistics challenge and they manage it with no fuss. It means that, sometimes, it goes unnoticed, but it shouldn't, and they deserve a big 'thank you'."
Lance into 2025
"Finally, we have just announced that Lance is staying with the team for 2025 and beyond. This is perhaps not a surprise to anyone reading this or anyone in the team – but it's good to finalise the deal and move on into the future with a settled driver line-up and no ambiguity.
"Lance has played – and continues to play – a key role in our development. His feedback will continue to help us move forward as we head into a new, and very different, era. Together with Fernando, it means we've got a really strong driving platform that offers us stability, with a new set of regulations and a new works engine partnership with Honda on the horizon."
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