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F1 Beyond The Grid

Mike Krack: Vettel + Massa’s mentor, aiming high at Aston Martin

F1 Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

News, Sports, Automotive, Sports News, Leisure

4.75.3K Ratings

🗓️ 27 July 2022

⏱️ 55 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

He’s the newest member of ‘The Piranha Club’ – the nickname for the ruthlessly competitive group of F1 Team Principals. Aston Martin’s Mike Krack is not a newcomer to F1, however. A former European go-kart racer, Mike earned his engineering stripes with Sauber in the early 2000s, where he moulded and mentored a young Felipe Massa. He witnessed the supreme strength and skill of Robert Kubica, and steered Sebastian Vettel through his Grand Prix debut at BMW in 2007. Vettel and Krack are now back together at Aston Martin, and Mike has illuminating insight into how the four-time champion has developed as a person and as a racing driver.  Mike tells Tom Clarkson about his life leading major manufacturers’ racing programs, including the reason he previously walked away from Formula 1. He explains how he’s ‘finding his way’ as boss of the sport’s most ambitious team, charged with fulfilling owner Lawrence Stroll’s aims of challenging for the World Championship.

Related episodes from the F1 Beyond The Grid archive:

Felipe Massa


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Transcript

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0:00.0

There you are on the train and you see someone harassing a woman.

0:05.0

What do you do?

0:07.0

I'll check if she's okay and ask if she wants to report it.

0:10.0

I'll ask the directions to distract him.

0:12.0

I'll tell someone who works at the station.

0:14.0

His mind mate, I'll tell him to stop.

0:17.0

There are many ways you can safely tackle violence against women and girls.

0:21.0

If you think it's wrong, act on it.

0:23.0

Find out how at gov.uk slash enough.

0:27.0

If someone is in danger call 999.

0:33.0

F1 drivers are rare beings.

0:36.0

There are only 20 of them on the planet racing wheel to wheel to be first.

0:41.0

But Formula 1 team principles are even more exotic.

0:45.0

10 top tier titans.

0:47.0

Their race is run off the track and behind the scenes.

0:51.0

Debating, disputing, ducking and diving to gain an advantage.

0:56.0

This razortoothed sharp tongue group is nicknamed the piranha club.

1:01.0

And its newest member is Aston Martin's Mike Crack.

1:05.0

There is a plate for lightness and a plate for colleagueness.

1:10.0

That makes you suspicious when you enter this club.

1:13.0

That is the suspicious part, isn't it?

1:15.0

Why would they welcome me?

...

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