F1 News: Mike Krack defends Aston Martin junior F1 program

(GMM) Mike Krack has defended F1 team Aston Martin’s driver development program since none of its young drivers have made it to F1.

The Lawrence Stroll-owned team is rapidly and impressively developing in every area, even successfully attracting Adrian Newey’s signature for 2025 and beyond.

Less successful, however, has been the driver development program so far. Early this year, teenage F2 driver and American Jak Crawford was signed up.

But the most prominent Aston Martin development driver is Felipe Drugovich, the 2022 Formula 2 champion and the team’s current official reserve.

Like reigning F2 champion Theo Pourchaire, 24-year-old Brazilian Drugovich has failed so far to make the step-up to Formula 1, and Aston Martin’s race driver lineup is all locked up for now with Fernando Alonso and owner Stroll’s son Lance.

Team boss Krack was asked if he thinks Aston Martin’s driver development program can be considered a success.

“We want to do it right,” he responded. “With Felipe, we are doing a very good program.”

Drugovich will get his latest track outing in Alonso’s race car on the Friday of the forthcoming Mexican GP.

“At the moment we have a situation in which some drivers are being promoted from some academies, which has not been the case in the last few years,” Krack said.

“Unfortunately, in Formula 1 you have the situation that there are only 20 places and there are plenty of top drivers who stay a long time. As a team, we are aware of this and that’s why we have not overfilled our junior programs.

“We have tried to keep them as lean as possible to not cause these types of situations. But he (Drugovich) is well prepared. If you accumulate a lot of drivers, you can’t do that. That’s why we’re taking a conservative approach.

“It’s good to see that new drivers are coming along now. And that should be the goal. As a sport, we have a responsibility to create such opportunities for young drivers.”