Double-points on home soil, updates to the AMR24 and the Hungaroring paddock, and reaching the halfway point of the season. There's plenty for Team Principal Mike Krack to discuss this week.
We have a new paddock at the Hungaroring and some updates on the AMR24. The recent run of races has been relentless, but the nature of F1 in 2024 means the development cycle just doesn't pause. Team Principal Mike Krack has a few thoughts on this, reflections on the team's progress and some views on what to expect at the Hungaroring this weekend.
This is Mike on...
A nice result on home soil
"Getting both cars home in the points at Silverstone a fortnight ago was a mega result for us at the end of an intense British Grand Prix. It was intense because it was at home, we were super-busy around the weekend and it came at the end of a triple-header.
"That leaves everyone's batteries fairly low – me included. Usually, when we have a weekend without racing, I take Friday as my day off. Last week, I took Thursday as well. It was really good to get a couple of days at home to recharge after 23-24 work days in a row. You reach a saturation point and have to stop because you cease to be productive – you can be physically present, but nothing is happening. I'm feeling much better after a long weekend at home!
"Another positive from our home race weekend was another strong showing from our junior driver Jak Crawford. He finished first on the road in the F2 Feature Race and despite having to settle for third after a five-second time penalty, he left Silverstone with a decent points haul having scored in both races.
"Following his Feature Race win back in Barcelona last month, Jak's campaign has really shifted up a gear and continues to gather momentum. He now lies sixth in the standings and with the F2 races coming thick and fast, upcoming rounds in Hungary and Belgium give Jak the perfect opportunity to continue to make up ground on those ahead."
The season heating up
"What can we say about Budapest? It's really, really hot! There are plenty of other interesting things about the Hungaroring, but it's always the heat that occupies your mind. It has a massive impact on the tyres, which means it has a massive impact on the race.
"It's amusing how the calendar throws up things like this – it's the opposite of the British Grand Prix. We're coming from a track that was super-fast and weather that was very cold, to a track that's very slow with very hot temperatures. It's a real challenge.
"We've also got a new paddock. The Hungaroring paddock hasn't really changed since it opened in the mid-1980s. This new one has ditched the old two-level layout and replaced it with one giant paddock. It's enormous!"
Flooring it
"We're bringing an updated floor and some other updates to Hungary. Everyone has worked incredibly hard to deliver this, and it's been manufactured in just a few weeks, which is record time for a floor. Our production team and suppliers have done a truly magnificent job.
"It's a vast effort to get these updates here, in the middle of this run of races. There is a whole chain of people, from the design office, to the manufacturing department, to the suppliers, to quality control, to testing.
"Hopefully at the Hungaroring, we'll see a better, more consistent AMR24. Consistency is important because it gives the drivers confidence to get more out of it. No promises – but we are hopeful."
Turning for home
"While the summer break seems like a more natural 'middle' of the season, the numbers say we've contested 12 Grands Prix and have 12 to go – so in a strictly mathematical sense, we've reached the halfway point. There isn't much time for a breather between Silverstone and Budapest, so proper reflection will come after Spa when everyone has a bit more time to consider things.
"I do, however, have my usual stats to look at, targetting areas like reliability, track time lost, pitstop consistency, those sorts of things. I'm very happy with how the team is performing because everything has improved, compared with this time last year – except the points. Obviously, those are the bottom line, but everything else is critical too: critical in the development race; critical in maximising your competitive ability."
Maximising
"This is important. It's going to be very difficult to break into the higher positions if you look at the current strength of the teams ahead of us, but one or two really good results ahead of the break will give us some margin for the remaining 10 races when we return after the summer.
"It's crucial to score well when an opportunity presents. Soft tyres and hot weather don't particularly play to our strengths, but we've often done our best work at races where we're not expecting great things – so overall, we're positive!"
Related content
The Debrief by Aramco: Hungarian Grand Prix
Read Now
Around the world in 24 races: Hungary
Read Now
Mike on... the British Grand Prix
Read Now
Mike on... the Austrian Grand Prix
Read Now
Mike on... the Spanish Grand Prix
Read Now
Mike on... the Canadian Grand Prix
Read Now
Mike on... the Monaco Grand Prix
Read Now
Mike on... the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
Read Now
Mike on... the Miami Grand Prix
Read Now
Mike on... the Chinese Grand Prix
Read NowI / AM membership
The ultimate fan experience.
Get closer to the team with unparalleled access, behind-the-scenes insights and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and enjoy exclusive competitions, rewards, offers and more.
