Stake technical director James Key says the C44 is “virtually a completely new car” as the team takes an aggressive approach to 2024.
The technical regulations have predominantly remained unchanged from last season to this, and with Key joining midway through 2023 after leaving McLaren, he says his input has been limited. However, with Stake describing the car as sporting “an aggressively redesigned aero package”, Key says there’s been an overhaul of the entire car for this season.
“It’s always great to see a new car coming out,” Key said. “The C44 project was already running before I joined the team, of course: I joined in the middle of it, so I have to give credit to the team, who have done a fantastic job. There’s a great team in Hinwil, with a good and positive working atmosphere, and everyone’s keen to make progress.
“Of course, designing and building a car like the C44 is not the work of one person: it’s an immensely complex project, even more so nowadays, with the regulations we have. The key is really down to managing this process, with the hundreds of people who have been working hard to develop the car, design it and then ultimately build it.
“The C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car. The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I joined: there are many mechanical changes, some of which you can’t see at all, but some are very visible.
“The front suspension is completely new, a tough and ambitious project for a team of our size, there are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development – so, overall, the car will re ally look quite different to last year’s car. We took a lot of new, exciting directions, all of which appear to hold quite a bit of potential, so we’re looking forward to seeing them on track.”