Aston Martin have appointed former BMW motorsport boss Mike Krack as team principal.
The move is part of the restructuring of Aston Martin as they seek to become one of the leading player in F1.
Krack joins Aston Martin after gaining extensive experience in motorsport management at BMW and Porsche. He has also been an engineer in F1 for Sauber.
The 49-year-old said his new role was “a challenge that I plan to embrace with energy and enthusiasm”.
Krack’s appointment is in the mould of McLaren’s signing of former Porsche motorsport boss Andreas Seidl as team principal three years ago.
Seidl, under whom Krack worked at Porsche and BMW, has been a notable success in restructuring McLaren and returning them to a competitive position.
Martin Whitmarsh, the former McLaren team boss who joined Aston Martin as chief executive officer last year, was instrumental in Krack’s appointment.
Whitmarsh said in a statement: “Mike Krack is exactly the right kind of dynamic and modern team principal.
“Having worked in very senior motorsport positions at both BMW and Porsche, backed by an engineering background in Formula 1 with Sauber, Mike possesses a blend of experience and expertise that makes him the ideal choice for us.
“He works well with drivers, having prioritised that aspect of his role at BMW in recent years, and also with engineers, since he speaks their language.”
Krack is the latest in a series of major appointments as Aston Martin seek to become one of the main players in F1.
Last year, they signed Red Bull head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows as their new technical director, although it is still not clear when he will start work in his new post.
Aston Martin chairman and owner Lawrence Stroll said: “We are hiring brilliant new people every week. Our new factory build is coming along very well.
“We have a fantastic roster of superb sponsor-partners. We are about to embark on year two of our five-year plan, the objective of which is to win Formula 1 World Championships.
“All the ingredients we require are coming together. Mike will play a central and leading role, reporting to Martin Whitmarsh and leading our technical and operational functions, our collective aim being to fulfil those lofty ambitions. We are on our way.”
Krack has worked with Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel when the four-time champion was beginning his career at BMW Sauber.
Krack said: “I have been working in motorsport for over 20 years, and worked in F1 with Seb Vettel in 2006 and 2007 when I was a BMW-Sauber engineer and he was the team’s test driver.
“I have huge respect for his speed and ability, and it will be fantastic to be reunited with him.
“Lance Stroll is a seriously fast and talented driver, too, with 100 Grands Prix starts to his name, and I am very much looking forward to working closely with him.
“Team Silverstone (the industry name for an outfit that started as Jordan in 1991 and has gone through several different guises before becoming Aston Martin) has always impressed me.
“It is full of talented people and real racers. That racer’s culture and values are what is required to succeed in motorsport.”
