F1 EXPLAINS: The all-encompassing role of a Team Principal – with Aston Martin’s Mike Krack

The boss of a Formula 1 team has a lot to do. They have to manage the drivers, engineers, mechanics, designers and hundreds of other employees at the racetrack and in the factory.

On the latest episode of F1 Explains, Aston Martin’s Team Principal Mike Krack tells Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill all about his job and how it differs from his fellow bosses.

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There is plenty on the line after all. Team Principals lead their squads through wins, podiums and retirements but, if things don’t go well, they sometimes pay with their jobs.

“If the results are not there, it is my responsibility obviously, and I will have to stand up for it,” Krack tells the podcast.

“This creates stress. But then again, you need to be careful that these kinds of stressful situations, you manage them properly. The people below you or the people that are working on different areas of the car, they are trying to do their best. They are working hard every day. They're making parts.

“You need to provide an environment where they can do their job properly. You have to absorb this kind of stress or this kind of pressure and try not to relay it into the company because it has a paralyzing effect.”

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To listen to the full episode on Team Principals, hit go on the audio player above – or click here to listen on your preferred podcasting platform.

And to get your questions answered, you can send a query about any F1 topic you fancy to F1Explains@F1.com. Our intrepid podcast team will then hunt down the best person in the paddock to give you the answer.

All episodes of F1 Explains are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all other major podcast apps. New episodes are released every Friday.