Walk in the expectation that Aston Martin will have to wait four or five years to fight for F1 titles

Billionaire Lawrence Stroll says it will realistically be four or five years before his Aston Martin Formula 1 team is able to fight for the Formula 1 World Championship.

Stroll has renamed its Racing Point team Aston Martin with a new green livery for this season as they continue to invest heavily in F1 operations to make them title contenders.

READ MORE: Aston Martin plans to tweak the green paint job to make it “pop” – but won’t go back to pink

The team is building a new factory and a wind tunnel and is in the middle of an aggressive recruiting offensive – Dan Fallows will join Red Bull as Technical Director – and the number of employees is expected to increase from 500 to around 800 in the coming years.

Hopes for a big year in 2021 were high after Stroll clinched his first win as a team owner with Sergio Perez in Bahrain last year, but struggled to keep going and currently finished sixth out of 10 teams in the Constructors’ Championship.

Sergio Perez took a podium for Racing Point at the 2020 Sakhir GP

And while 2022 – which brings with it new technical regulations – offers the chance for a big step, Stroll has no illusions that it will take time to get to the heart of Aston Martin.

“We are currently well positioned,” said Stroll. “We share the Mercedes wind tunnel, so in one of the best wind tunnels we are to be sacrificed by being in a bad wind tunnel.

ANALYSIS: Like Vettel from missing Q3 to his first podium for Aston Martin in Baku. got

“As for facilities, we definitely outgrew our facilities. We are building a lot of temporary facilities around our location to accommodate all of these new hires. I think we will be in the new location in 18 months, call it 20 months , At the end of next year.

“We don’t make any real compromises. Formula 1, like in any other business, I don’t think you can realistically plan to win four or five years ago. I think that’s realistic.”

Aston Martin is 12 points ahead of Alpine in the overall standings

He added: “My track record, like any other company I own, is winning. In this case, of course, winning in Formula One means world championships and that is ultimately what we strive for, what I strive for.

READ MORE: Formula 1 announces scholarships, apprenticeships and internships for underrepresented groups

“Of course we all know that success in Formula 1 – or in any other business – doesn’t come overnight. It takes years to use the right people, the right tools, the right processes.

“But we are building and investing in our team with the aim of moving up the grid year after year and our ultimate goal is to win world championships.”

Aston Martin’s newest employee, Mark White

Meanwhile, Aston Martin announced its latest tech hiring on Wednesday after Fallows, Andrew Alessi – also from Red Bull – and Luca Furbatto from Alfa Romeo were hired.

Mark White will join the team as Operations Director on September 1, 2021. White, who has 25 years of experience in the automotive industry, including his time at Honda, will have overall responsibility for production control, quality assurance and manufacturing.

Otmar Szafnauer, CEO and Team Principal, said, “Mark’s experience in the automotive world will be particularly relevant as the cost cap comes into effect with a stronger focus on containing manufacturing costs.

“He will also continue our efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of our production and manufacturing systems. It is further proof of our desire to strengthen the team in all areas with another experienced senior leader. “

White added, “I am very proud to be one of the talented men and women in the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team this September.

“I was extremely impressed with the passion and will of the leadership team and I believe that the roadmap ahead, including the new factory building, will enable the team to be truly competitive in the years to come. I will do everything I can to help guide the team to the top of the grid. “