Team Principal Mike Krack shares his views on Vegas and the final triple-header of 2024, last time out in São Paulo, new partners, the 2025 season launch, and a very special anniversary.
Unless you're scrapping for a title, this is traditionally the time of the season when thoughts start turning to next season. Not so much counting down the days, as beginning to think ahead: the winter shutdown, months back at base rather than on the road, a new car to launch, a new calendar to comprehend, perhaps new rules… but that's not so easy to do when you're in Las Vegas and Las Vegas keeps you very firmly rooted in the here-and-now.
It's a very busy time for the team. There's a huge amount of work on the commercial side, with some spectacular new partners joining us on our journey, and the race team is focused on keeping the cars in the best spec possible while respecting the restrictions of the cost cap over this final triple-header. We've also got a very special anniversary for Sporting Director Andy Stevenson to celebrate.
As I / AM member Steve T may recall, Team Principal Mike Krack is very clear that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas – but he still has plenty to talk about this week.
This is Mike on…
Being back at base
"Having an extra week back at the AMR Technology Campus, between São Paulo and Vegas was really good. It's a useful gap because it allows you to look at a bigger picture than simply the next race or sequence of races.
"We've been able to discuss development of the AMR25, I've been to see the new simulator again and things are moving on. There was also an F1 Commission meeting to attend. It's good to be at the track, but it's also great to be back at base."
The 2025 season launch
"The big piece of news in between the races was that we're going to turn the 2025 car launch season into a big event. This, I think, is a very good initiative and it's great we’re doing it in London, which is not too far from most of the teams. Vegas would be good too though! This is the perfect place for that sort of thing, but maybe it would be better somewhere F1 doesn't go at all, like New York in the future.
"It's interesting that tickets sold out within the hour so maybe we should be holding the launch someplace bigger? It perhaps displays a mismatch between what we expect and the level of public interest. We're part of something big here, and it's important to zoom out and recognize that.
"I'd love to see future launches held in one of the big, indoor US venues. It'd be great to sell out 100,000 tickets and really take F1 to the people, but as a starting point this is a very good initiative because it is important to try new things.
"Credit to F1's owners, Liberty Media, because it's the sort of thing that simply wouldn't have happened in the past. I think it will be great – everyone will get their moment on stage, deliver value for their partners and delight their fans."
Vegas
"Now we're in Las Vegas, the perception is that this is a special venue – in the widest sense of the word. Vegas adds something different to the calendar. It has its own character, different from the other races in the US. It's less about glamour, more about entertainment. It's the showbiz race: big; bright; a lot of fun. I'm sure we'll see a lot of VIPs and a lot of superstars this weekend.
"Every global sport attempts to have an event in Las Vegas. Hats off to F1, they bought their own plot of land to build the pit and paddock and made it happen. It's also a race. There are championship points at stake, just like everywhere else. It's the start of another triple-header, and arguably the toughest one we face, with a half-day time zone change and a difficult schedule."
Our sort of track... perhaps
"On paper, the Las Vegas Strip Circuit should suit us a little more than the last couple of circuits we've visited. It's the closest thing we see to Azerbaijan, with long straights and low-speed corners. From that point of view, it should be a little better for us, as we went well there.
"The caveat, of course, is that there have been a round of updates between Baku and here, so the competitive picture will have changed. Some teams have taken steps forward so this weekend could be a little tougher. Every track is different and it's to the credit of F1 that, this late into the season, we can go into a race with so many unknowns."
Tough times in Brazil
"Our weekend in Brazil was very tough, and the car was very difficult to drive. It was important to understand why that was. There was a lot of bouncing, with a lot of bumps and when the rain came the track became very difficult. It's usually the case with a new surface: oils plus water create very low grip.
"Both Lance and Fernando had compromised setups for the Grand Prix, given we hadn’t run in the wet before Sunday morning and you aren’t allowed to check or adjust the mechanical setup of the cars ahead of the race.
"The combination of wet weather, an incredibly bumpy track, spare components and a compromised mechanical setup added up to both cars being highly susceptible to wheel locking, which is what caused Lance and Fernando to come unstuck on Sunday in São Paulo.
"I've spoken to both Lance and Fernando in between the races, and they understand what happened. They're both positive, both looking forward and have both very much put a difficult weekend behind them."
New partners
"We've announced four exciting new partnerships in last few weeks with Ma'aden, PUMA and Xerox. Glenfiddich is the latest, and we were delighted to officially welcome them to the family earlier this week.
"With 24 races and flying home as well, my opportunities to enjoy single malt Scotch whisky have been limited, but I am now learning about the history. If I have to do some testing in the future, that would be OK!
"On a serious note, these new partnerships are an affirmation that we're going in the right direction, in a similar way to us recruiting Adrian Newey. It shows real belief in us as the team of the future."
Andy Stevenson and the big 600
"Finally, this weekend is Andy Stevenson's 600th race. He doesn't want a lot of fuss made about that number, but he deserves to have it celebrated because he's an absolute pillar of this team. It's good that we have people who have been here, through various incarnations, right from day one. We've published an article in which Andy reflects on his career, and I recommend reading it.
"For me, I always think our Sporting Director has the qualities of a chameleon. He can adapt to any situation, and that's why he’s been successful for more than 30 years. I suspect there is a temptation for people who've been in F1 as long as Andy to become complacent. He's the opposite: his attention to detail is astounding. He's on top of every rule, 100 per cent ready to fight our corner. And above all that, he's a pleasure to work with and a great guy to be around. Thank you, Andy!"
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