Mike on... the Miami Grand Prix
The aftermath of China, the value of hard racing, points, process and taking F1 to the streets of Miami. These are the latest musings from Team Principal Mike Krack.
Miami! It's a race that automatically comes with an exclamation mark. It's hot, it's crowded, it's fun – and this year it's also a Sprint. Team Principal Mike Krack has got plenty to say on the magic of the Miami Grand Prix, but also a few things about last time out in China, and whether F1 needs a new points structure.
This is Mike on…
China
"We need to get good points in Miami, it's as simple as that. We did not score enough on the first Sprint weekend in Shanghai. We had the DNF with Fernando in the Sprint, we had the DNF with Lance in the race. Just not enough points and, as a result, we fell back a bit in the standings.
"This weekend should be good for us: Miami is kinder to the tyres and has lots of DRS. It's a good opportunity to bounce back.
"The new Sprint format made for a very busy weekend in China. We changed the car in parc fermé between the Sprint and Qualifying, and did a very good job of that. We were quite strong in Q1! From the outside, that maybe goes unseen, but internally, it demonstrates we’re on the right path: hyper-focused on making the most of a new opportunity, well balanced between analysis and pragmatism."
Hard racing
"You've probably seen that we requested a review of Fernando’s penalty from the Shanghai Sprint. Ultimately we were unsuccessful, but it's only because we want to continue to see the sort of hard racing between Fernando and Carlos Sainz. When you race hard, sometimes you come out on top, sometimes on the bottom. In China, we were on the bottom: puncture; DNF – and that's fine, just the way racing goes – but for Fernando to then get penalty points for a racing incident. I thought that was pretty tough.
"At the moment, the AMR24 is stronger in Qualifying than it is in the race, which inevitably means we’re going to have defensive races. We want Lance and Fernando to be fighting for those positions, we want them to fight hard. And not just us: this is what fans want to see. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose, and that's part of racing. Adding penalties on top, that seemed a bit harsh but we move on."
Points are prizes
"Since China, we've had an F1 Commission meeting, and the topic that excited most interest outside the meeting was the changing of the points structure. What came out of the meeting was an acknowledgement that the system needs an overhaul – but that we shouldn't do this as a knee-jerk reaction to what's happening on track now, and then perhaps have to change it again in the near future.
"My point of view is that there should be points for everyone. I think the fight for P14-P15 should be a fight for something more than bragging rights. When there's nothing at stake, it tempts teams to save their engine for another day, maybe retire the car. We have to incentivise the fight.
"I think the whole system needs to be modernised – maybe we should look have a look at US racing. We need to look at how points are awarded and make something fit for purpose today and what the fans want – but we shouldn't rush into it and further evaluation is being done."
Taking F1 to the streets of Miami
"This weekend promises to be a real spectacle. That goes as much for the activity in the city as for the activity at the track. There's a huge audience for F1 here that aren't necessarily all coming to the track. And if you can't bring all of the fans to the track, then you have to take the track to the fans – which is why we've taken F1 to streets of Miami this week, with fan events in town, a show car on tour around the city for people to see, driver squad meet-and-greets and other engagement activities. When Aston Martin returned to F1, we said we would do things differently and putting the focus on fans – bringing them closer to the sport – is a key part of that."
F1 Academy
"Plenty is going on at the track this weekend, we've got our second Sprint of the season in quick succession and the second weekend of the 2024 F1 Academy campaign. It's a big one for our F1 Academy driver Tina Hausmann, and Miami is going to provide a very different audience to Saudi Arabia.
"Hopefully we'll see great racing and good entertainment for fans. It's a new track for her, and I'm excited to see how she's developing and progressing. It's been pointed out that she’s the only driver in the field who's also still in school… but for all of us in motorsport, every day is a school day!
End of the block
"For me – and you may perceive the season differently – Miami feels like the end of the first block. We've had these six flyway races, lots of travel, and after this, things settle down for a while. I'm happy about that. From the team's perspective, you can take a breath, spend a little more time sleeping in your own bed. This opening block is hard. No-one is working at 100 per cent because you can't be when you’re dealing with the travel and the jetlag. Four trips east and this trip west, it's a lot extra on top of the hard work that goes into racing.
"Credit to the race team, mechanics in particular, but also engineering: they're going to be tired when they arrive, but need that capacity to think clearly, nail the strategy and make the right calls on setup. Also, credit to everyone in the Campus back home, many of whom have been working offset hours during race weekends and everyone has been hard at work providing those of us on the road with everything we need. It's a little easier for the next block in Europe – but first, Miami."
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