Aston Martin announced last January that Mike Krack would join its Formula 1 operations team as team principal, replacing Otmar Szafnauer .
Krack had worked as director of BMW ‘s motorsports program since 2014, overseeing its moves in categories such as Formula E and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and started working for Aston Martin in early March.
In an interview for Motorsport.com’s sister publication Motorsport-Total , DTM boss Berger said he was unimpressed by Krack’s work at BMW.
Speaking to media in Bahrain, including Motorsport.com, Berger expanded on his statement: “Let’s see what he can do, but when I think about what he did in DTM I just don’t see a way forward for Aston Martin with him.” said the former F1 driver.
“In all the years I’ve been there, [BMW] has never been consistently competitive.
“They could be in a good position on the starting grid one day and they didn’t know why. And the next day they were in last position and they didn’t know why either.”
“When you see that over a long period of time, you inevitably doubt and question the people behind the project, and he was the one leading it.”
“And this is the DTM! Which is great, but F1 is a different league. Here, you have to be the best of the best in the world. And I don’t see him capable. Sorry, I was a bit direct, but someone asked me and that’s my opinion,” said a blunt Berger .
BMW has failed to win a DTM title since Marco Wittmann claimed the drivers’ crown in 2016, taking just four wins in the last two seasons.
Niels Wittich has also switched from DTM to F1 recently, the race director overseeing the Bahrain Grand Prix as part of his new role, a role he will alternate with Eduardo Freitas .
Wittich and Freitas, who had previously worked as race director in the WEC, have taken up this position as part of a restructuring in the FIA race control, caused by the controversy in Abu Dhabi, which ended with the dismissal of Michael Massi.
Berger said it was important for Wittich and Freitas to be supported by Herbie Blash , once the deputy for Charlie Whiting, who has now returned to the Formula 1 organization as a senior adviser for the 2022 season.
“Herbie understands the business, inside and out, so if they listen to him, they’re going to learn a lot . Let’s see how they do, it’s not going to be easy.”
“I have to say one thing, Charlie Whiting was brilliant, but the FIA made a mistake in those years, they never tried to ‘build’ another race director. It is very, very difficult to be a good race director and Formula 1 is now realized, they have great difficulties in this regard”.
“So it’s not a mistake now, it’s a mistake that has been made for five years, since Charlie was in charge, there [they should have] ‘built’ one, two or three new race directors”, concluded.
