Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack left the Chinese Grand Prix fearing one ‘very strong’ rival after F1’s true midfield pecking order started to emerge in Shanghai.
The Silverstone squad were the best of the rest behind Formula 1’s top-four teams last term with Aston Martin sealing fifth place in the constructors’ championship comfortably clear of the chasing pack. Yet the margins between the midfield outfits now look very tight this year.
Rain and wind meant Aston Martin could not gauge a clear image of the pecking order from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. But Krack feels the conditions for the Chinese GP last Sunday gave the first signs for who will lead the midfield fight and it is not Aston Martin.
Aston Martin chief Mike Krack fears Haas will lead F1’s midfield after the Chinese GP
Aston Martin sidestepped Krack from his position as their team principal over the winter to be their chief trackside officer for the 2025 season. He is their top executive in the absence of CEO and team principal Andy Cowell, as was the case in Shanghai for round two of 2025.
READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage
The Shanghai track was not a great venue for the Silverstone squad as Lance Stroll led Aston Martin’s efforts in Sprint Qualifying in P10, the Sprint event in P9 and the feature race in P9. Fernando Alonso out-qualified Stroll in P13 to P14 but retired on Lap 4 with a brake failure.
Instead, Shanghai’s resurfaced track helped Haas’ Chinese GP with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman securing them a double-points finish in P5 and P8. Both were in the top 10 before Ferrari’s double disqualification at the Chinese GP unlike Stroll, who sealed P11 on the road.
Haas’ pace throughout the Chinese GP also impressed Krack, who ranks the American outfit ahead of Aston Martin as the best of F1’s midfield. Stroll and Bearman were evenly matched during their opening stints but the Canadian would not match the Briton’s pace after pitting.
“The Haas were very strong,” Krack told AS. “In qualifying, everything is very tight and the order depends more on the balance of the car and whether you make a mistake. In the race, we see the real order.
“In Melbourne, it was difficult. Here, we have a clearer picture. Saturday’s race was marked by graining. But with Sunday’s race, we have a clearer perspective to make our analyses and they [Haas] are probably the ones leading the midfield.”
Fine qualifying margins could swing the momentum in Aston Martin’s favour
Fine margins are likely to dictate the qualifying order of F1’s midfield this season with Haas, Aston Martin, Williams, Sauber and Alpine all showing some signs of potential through the opening rounds. Alpine lost some performance in Shanghai having changed their rear wing.
Only 0.093 seconds separated Alonso from a Q3 place at the Chinese GP as Williams’ Alex Albon rounded out the top 10 in Q2. Stroll was even just 0.085s behind his teammate last Saturday, having made SQ3 for the Sprint with P9 in SQ2 by 0.073s to 11th-placed Alonso.
With margins that tight, Krack is right to suggest any mistake could yield big consequences in the midfield fight. It also did not help Aston Martin to lose Alonso just four laps into the Chinese Grand Prix with his brake failure, removing their chance for both drivers to score.
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