In theory, this should be working.
A big-money team. A brand with pedigree. A brand-new factory so clean it looks like a Bond villain’s tech lab. A billionaire owner who says he wants to win. A technical partnership with Mercedes. Honda engines on the way. And now, the greatest designer of all time — Adrian Newey — waiting in the wings.
And yet… Aston Martin remains stuck. Hyped, well-funded, beautifully liveried — but nowhere near the front where they keep insisting they belong.
Because money buys facilities. It buys engineers. It even buys credibility for a while.
But it still can’t buy winning. Not if the foundation isn’t right.
The Rise of Lawrence Stroll’s Vision
The Aston Martin F1 project began as a rescue — Lawrence Stroll led a consortium to save Racing Point (formerly Force India) in 2018. From there, it morphed into ambition: full rebrand, manufacturer backing, and the green light to chase titles.
The pitch was compelling: a lean, overachieving team with real resources. Copy the big teams. Learn fast. Spend smart. And eventually, beat them.
It worked for a minute.
The 2020 Racing Point car — dubbed the “Pink Mercedes” — borrowed heavily from the 2019 W10 and won a race. People were annoyed. The team didn’t care. They called it “clever.” It was. It also showed the limits of imitation.
Because when the rules changed, the silverprints stopped working.
The Alonso Spike (2023)
2023 was supposed to be the breakthrough. The car looked good. Preseason testing was strong. Fernando Alonso jumped ship from Alpine and immediately dragged the car onto podiums with pure spite and talent.
For a few races, Aston Martin were the feel-good story. A new player. A disruptor. Alonso smiling (which should’ve been a red flag). The vibes were good.
And then… nothing.
Upgrades backfired. Performance dropped. Ferrari and McLaren surged. Aston faded. And with it, the illusion that this project was on a straight line to the top.
Because the truth is, they didn’t have the car. Or the process. They had Fernando. And when the car stopped responding, he couldn’t save it.
The Stroll Problem
There is no way around it: this is still a team built around keeping Lance Stroll employed.
Lance isn’t untalented. He’s been on the podium. He’s scored poles. But he is not the guy you build a title campaign around — and everyone knows it.
Which makes the question uncomfortable: how do you claim to be a serious team when one of your seats is non-negotiable?
Every season, the same narrative loops:
- Lance underperforms.
- Fernando delivers.
- The team says they’re proud of both drivers.
- Nothing changes.
At some point, ambition and reality need to meet. And for Aston Martin, that moment is coming fast.
Because when you have Newey in the building and Honda engines arriving in 2026, you can’t afford to leave points on the table. Not if you’re serious. Not if you really want to win.
The Copy-Paste Years
For too long, Aston Martin’s car philosophy has been about mimicry. First Mercedes. Then a little Red Bull flair. Then some compromise between the two.
It’s not shameful — F1 is a copycat league. But the best teams adapt what they learn. Aston often looks like it’s guessing which direction the front of the grid is going and showing up three months late.
Even with Dan Fallows (ex-Red Bull aero lead), the team has struggled to carve out its own identity. And that’s what makes the Newey rumors so critical.
If anyone can give them a technical soul, it’s him.
But even Newey will ask the same question everyone else is asking:
“Why is Lance still here?”
What Makes Aston Martin Aston Martin?
Right now? It’s a team of contradictions:
- A legendary brand with no modern pedigree.
- A ruthless businessman running a team that can’t make hard decisions.
- A beautiful factory with underwhelming results.
- The best driver marketing in the world (Alonso), paired with the most awkward driver politics in the paddock (Stroll).
They want to be Red Bull, but behave like a glorified sponsorship platform.
They want to win races, but still act like a rich man’s project.
There’s still time to turn it around. Newey could change everything. Honda could bring firepower. Alonso could go full dark mode for one last miracle season.
But until they make real decisions — about drivers, about leadership, about culture — Aston Martin will stay exactly where they are:
A team with potential.
And no idea what to do with it.
| Field | Info |
| Full Team Name | Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team |
| Base | Silverstone, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2021 (rebranded from Racing Point; legacy goes back to Jordan, 1991) |
| Owner | Lawrence Stroll-led consortium (Aston Martin Performance Technologies) |
| Team Principal | Mike Krack |
| Technical Director | Dan Fallows (ex-Red Bull) |
| Engine Supplier | Mercedes (until 2025); Honda from 2026 |
| Driver Lineup (2025) | Fernando Alonso (#14), Lance Stroll (#18) |
| Test/Reserve Drivers | Felipe Drugovich, Stoffel Vandoorne |
| Constructors’ Titles | 0 |
| Drivers’ Titles | 0 (team-level; Alonso has 2) |
| First Race | Bahrain GP 2021 (as Aston Martin) |
| First Win | N/A (Best finish: P2 – Alonso, multiple times in 2023) |
| Total Podiums | 10+ (as of mid-2025) |
| Title Sponsors | Aramco, Cognizant, Peroni, Crypto.com, Boss |
