Aston Martin’s Formula 1 return – marketing gimmick or real challenger?

With new technical regulations in the next year and a new budget ceiling already introduced according to Covid, which should theoretically bring the “big three” of Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull to their level, he believes that the conditions are ripe for an overturning of the established order .

“We’re finished now,” he says. “We spend as much as any team, whether Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull. So we are no longer punished for exceeding us or for having 500 additional employees. We are building a new factory; 200,000 square feet in Silverstone. We have hired another 100 people in the company. There were already 400 great people there who had been beating over their weight for years.

“We are increasing our production capacities. Most of our production was previously outsourced. That means we can get upgrades to the races much faster as we don’t have to wait for another customer to get off the machine … So it’s a combination of all of the above. Plus higher expectations. “

With the Mercedes partnership more intense than ever – Aston Martin will have access to Mercedes’ powertrain architecture, including hybrid and electric technology, by 2027 – and the power of the Aston Martin brand already bringing in a steady stream of sponsors, the project is sure to have big hits Potential.

Stroll admits that Aston Martin’s “F1 legacy” may have been a bit of an exaggeration. The team had two seasons in the sport in 1959 and 1960, with British driver Roy Salvadori taking sixth place as the best result. But Aston Martin’s sports car legacy or its appeal to fans around the world is undeniable, thanks in no small part to the James Bond franchise.

“All of Aston Martin’s DNA is racing,” says Stroll. “It was created 108 years ago to drive up Aston Hill [in Buckinghamshire]. And it’s been in the company’s DNA ever since. The brand is just amazing. I think we had a million people looking at us [online] Begin. I mean, the number of fans Aston Martin has around the world is remarkable. And we haven’t even turned a wheel yet.

“Bond is undoubtedly a huge part of it. I mean, we all want to live dreams, don’t we? When you buy an Aston Martin, you’re practically buying a dream. What’s cooler than James Bond?”

Whether Stroll is more Blofeld or M, even Aston Martin’s rivals have to grudgingly admit that there’s a new player in town. In conversations with people behind the scenes, most believe that Stroll is a serious branding company that will turn the fortunes of the Aston Martin auto company. As for the F1 team, time will tell. “We have to work hard, we have a lot to do,” concludes Stroll. “But I think we can. This is the culmination of bringing this iconic British luxury brand back into Formula 1 after 61 years, which is by the way my age. It’s very, very special.”