Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has confirmed that the departure of the team’s technical director, Dan Fallows, is a result of the team’s underperformance in recent months.
Aston Martin recently announced that Fallows, who joined the team in April 2022, would step down from his role as technical director but remain within the group. Fallows has had a long career in Formula 1, starting with Jaguar Racing in 2002 as a senior aerodynamicist. After Ford’s exit from F1, he moved to Dallara before returning to Red Bull Racing in 2006, where he progressed through various roles to become Head of Aerodynamics in 2014.
Reflecting on Fallows’ exit, Krack explained that the decision stemmed from the team’s lack of progress with the car. “The only thing that matters is the result and the performance at the end,” Krack said. “If the performance is not there, there is change. This is normal in our business and in professional sports. If the performance doesn’t come, the team decides to make changes.”
Krack also addressed the recent struggles of Aston Martin’s star drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, highlighting their professionalism and positive attitude. Despite the team’s performance plateau since the strong start to 2023, both drivers have remained excellent team players. “Hats off to both our drivers,” Krack added. “They have not accepted the situation, but they’re challenging us internally. Externally, they have been great team players, and this is extremely helpful.”
Both Alonso and Stroll have faced increasing scrutiny as the team’s performance has stagnated, but Krack praised their resilience. “It’s frustrating for them as well,” he said. “They’ve had to answer negative questions from the media, but they’ve conducted themselves remarkably well, staying positive despite the challenges.”
Looking ahead to the new season, Krack acknowledged the team’s disappointment with the current state of development. “We cannot be happy with our season,” he said. “We started the year with a target to close the gap to the front, but the opposite happened. We’re not satisfied with that.”
However, Krack remains optimistic about the team’s long-term prospects. He noted that new infrastructure and tools are coming online, though not everything is fully operational yet. “Foundations are being built in the background, but we have to race the car in this season and next. The car’s performance is not dependent on whether everything is ready or not,” he concluded.
Aston Martin is hoping that its continued investment in new facilities and resources will pay off, but the team recognizes that they still need to make significant progress to be competitive at the front of the grid.
