Krack Leaves BMW; Roos Appointed Head of Motorsport

BMW M Motorsport has announced a change in its top management structure with Mike Krack leaving his directorial post to take up a new position in Formula 1.

Former Audi factory racing project manager Andreas Roos will succeed Krack as the new head of BMW M Motorsport on Feb. 1.

Krack was appointed as the manufacturer’s racing department director in March 2021 but will depart to become the team principal of the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula 1 Team, replacing Otmar Szafnauer.

Working with the now-former BMW M CEO Markus Flasch, Krack’s BMW tenure included the rollout of the M4 GT3, which is making its global customer racing debut this year, and the announcement of an LMDh program in collaboration with Dallara.

“We would like to thank Mike Krack for his passion and dedication across the motorsport portfolio of BMW and BMW M,” said BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel.

“He has demonstrated his wholehearted commitment to motorsport in various roles within our company. As Head of BMW M Motorsport, he took some important decisions over the past year aimed at securing a successful future for our motorsport projects.

“He has now been given the chance to fulfill a career dream and we do not want to stand in his way. We would like to wish Mike every success in his future endeavors.

“At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Andreas Roos as our new Head of BMW M Motorsport.

“He has also held senior management positions in international motorsport for many years and his vast experience makes him the ideal appointment at the helm of our racing involvement.

“With Andreas on board we are in the best possible shape to enjoy an exciting future pursuing ambitious goals with our new BMW M4 GT3 and LMDh project.

“We are looking forward to enjoying great success together.”

Krack is set to return to the Formula 1 paddock after previously working with BMW-Sauber in an engineering role that included working with a younger Sebastian Vettel.

“This was not an easy decision for me,” he commented.

“I have spent a large portion of my professional life at BMW, and have grown incredibly fond of the brand and my colleagues over all these great years.

“I would like to say thank you for everything we have achieved together through the many different projects.

“However, it has always been a dream of mine to return to Formula 1 one day – and now I have been given the chance to do that.

“I would like to thank BMW M GmbH for supporting me along this path and enabling a smooth handover to my successor. I wish Andreas Roos luck and am in no doubt that BMW M Motorsport will be successful under his leadership.”

BMW’s new motorsport director Roos arrives at the Munich-based company after a decade with Audi that focused on the manufacturer’s works motorsport programs in different disciplines such as endurance racing, DTM and off-road.

“I’m very much looking forward to my new role and thank BMW M GmbH for the trust they have shown in me,” said Roos.

“I have, of course, followed BMW M in motorsport for many years, and it is something very special for me to now be able to play a leading role in the next chapter of the brand’s success story on the race track.”