Aston Martin boss Mike Krack has expressed that the team is “open-minded” to new recruits amid rumours that it is pursuing Formula 1 design legend Adrian Newey.
Newey, who stands as F1’s most decorated ever designer, will become available once his near two-decade association with Red Bull comes to a close in March 2025.
The Briton, 65, has disclosed that he harbours aspirations to continue working in the sport and numerous teams have been linked with acquiring his coveted services.
Ferrari, which has been unsuccessful with previous attempts to lure Newey, was touted as the initial frontrunner, but those links have since dissipated in recent times.
Instead, Aston Martin is now viewed as his likeliest destination, with owner Lawrence Stroll having tabled a lucrative proposal and provided Newey with a factory tour.
Aston Martin has appointed ex-Mercedes Powertrains boss Andy Cowell as Group Chief Executive Officer, while Enrico Cardile has been named its Technical Director.
But despite those recent acquisitions, Krack has divulged that the Silverstone-based squad would still be prepared to bolster its ranks should the ideal fit be available.
“We’re still in a period of growth – but I think we have to be open-minded and dynamic, in terms of personnel as well as car development,” Krack told Aston Martin.
“This isn’t a sport that rewards consolidation. Obviously, that has to be constructed around a stable core.
“You need to have routines and you need to have trust and establishing that trust can take a long time – but you should never sit back and say ‘we are fine’.
“There’s always a need to be looking at what you can do better, what you can change. Doesn’t necessarily mean you make that change – but you have to keep asking the question.
“We’ve announced several new members of the senior management team over the last few months.
“And each time someone new arrives, I’m asked the question: ‘Is that the last piece in the puzzle?’ It isn’t. It never is.
“We’ll continue to look at recruitment, because perhaps there’s somebody else out there that’s going to make us better.
“I say ‘out there’. It’s important to never forget that we have a lot of talent within the team that we’re consistently trying to develop and bring up through the organisation.
“You look outside because the organisation has to stay dynamic, has to be open to new perspectives.
“But we need to give the team that’s already here the opportunity to mature, to express itself, to naturally migrate to areas of greater responsibility.”
Aston Martin is complementing an aggressive hiring spree with an expansion to its Silverstone base, with an all-new wind tunnel set to be a game-changing addition.
Krack believes the renovations, which will also include staff facilities and an updated simulator, will ensure that Aston Martin has the tools to rival F1’s biggest sides.
Asked whether Aston Martin’s venture is a work in process, Krack responded: “Very much so,
“But the same can be said of any F1 team – you’re constantly evolving, constantly finding ways to improve and get stronger.
“We’re expanding to the point of parity with the front-running teams in terms of numbers, and when the AMR Technology Campus is completed, we’ll have a best-in-class facility for making F1 cars that also provides a pleasant, inspiring and empowering environment in which to work, and a useful tool for recruitment that also hits all of our sustainability targets.”
