A quarter of the way into the 2024 Formula One season, Team Principal Mike Krack reflects on the campaign so far and looks ahead to the upcoming European rounds on the calendar, starting with this weekend's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

We've completed 25 per cent of this record-breaking Formula One season. How do you reflect on our season so far?
Mike Krack: "It has been a busy first few months of the season. Performance wise, we are where we expected to be. We've closed the gap to the front but it's ultra-competitive and the pack is very tight. Coming into this year, we expected to be fifth fastest and that's where we've often been in race trim.

"In Qualifying, we've often been third fastest which has been positive, and we're working hard on developing the car to make sure we can capitalise on our strong performance over one lap.

"I'm proud of how the team, both trackside and at the AMR Technology Campus, has dealt with the recent fly-aways.

"For those attending races, we've flown long distances both east and west, almost every two weeks, so adjusting to the time zones has been one of the biggest challenges at the start of this season.

"Racing in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, China, and Miami has been fantastic and a great opportunity to connect with our fans all over the world, and we've handled the various time zones well. That includes everyone back home at the Campus in Mission Control, many of whom have been working offset hours to support our operations at the track during race weekends.

"Operationally, we've been very strong. Our pit stops have consistently been among the fastest and we have not lost a minute of track time because of any operational glitches. As a team, we've executed well throughout the campaign and that is down to the hard work and dedication of everyone both at the Campus and the track."

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix marks the start of the European season. How excited are you for the upcoming races?
MK: "We're going to be racing at least every other week between now and the summer break which is great, and we're excited to go back to Imola. It's a real test for the drivers - and the engineers who are trying to optimise the setup.

"After the terrible flooding that prevented us from racing at Imola last year, we're looking forward to returning to this iconic circuit and hopefully, we can put on a good show for the fans.

"The passion that Italian fans have for the sport and Ferrari is well known, but in recent years we've seen increasingly more green in the grandstands when we've raced in Italy and I'm hoping to see even more this year.

"Imola is steeped in history. We all remember Fernando's thrilling battles with Michael Schumacher here in 2005 and '06. It's also sadly where we lost Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in 1994 and 30 years on from that tragic day, the F1 community will come together this weekend to remember them and pay tribute."

What else can we expect in Imola this weekend?
MK: "There's lots to look forward to. It's a special race and frequently serves up a great spectacle.

"Pirelli is bringing the three softest tyres in their range for this weekend, one step softer than the last time we raced here, so that adds a new variable and could provide the opportunity for some bold strategy calls.

"Scoring points is always our first target at every Grand Prix weekend and at Imola things will be no different. We have good Qualifying pace so our first job is ensuring that continues and then we'll be working hard to convert that into a strong race finish.

"Typically, there aren't many overtaking opportunities at Imola, so track position will be key - the margins are so fine at the moment, which makes Qualifying well even more important."

The start of the European season usually sees teams bringing updates to their cars. Will this be the case for the AMR24?
MK: "We're bringing an update to Imola as part of our continuous programme of in-season development. This should address several areas for improvement that we've identified, but it's all relative - nobody stands still in F1 - and our competitors will be bringing new parts too.

"All we can do is focus on ourselves and continue to close the gap to the front. Everyone in the team is pushing hard, and the update this weekend is just another example of the tireless effort and dedication from everyone."

The newest member of our driver squad, Jak Crawford, is racing in F2 this weekend. How has he settled into the team since joining us earlier in the year?
MK: "Jak is settling into the team very well and it's great to have him on board. In Miami, he was an ambassador for the team, taking part in various marketing and fan events, but it was also a great opportunity for him to get a taste of the Formula One paddock and learn how we approach a race weekend.

"Jak is a really talented young driver. We're working with him to accelerate his development and looking forward to seeing how he continues to grow and progress both on and off the track. He had a tough weekend last time out in Australia and is eager to get back racing in Imola. Track time is so important at any stage of a driver's career but more so for young drivers - there's no substitute for experience behind the wheel. A clean weekend and strong points haul are what Jak's aiming for. We're excited to see how he gets on."