Lawrence Stroll bought the Racing Point-Force India (Now Aston Martin Racing) team in 2018. He has been active on the grid ever since, with his son Lance, driving for the team. Over the past few years, the team’s most successful season was certainly when they finished P4 in the WCC in 2020. However, it was a controversial season for Racing Point as their rivals dubbed their car the “Pink Mercedes”.
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Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll had an exceptional year for Racing Point in 2020. They finished on the podiums 4 times, including a superb win in Bahrain for the Mexican driver. However, rival teams tainted their season with accusations of them copying Mercedes from earlier seasons.
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Lawrence Stroll made his anger and frustration known in an atypical public statement. He stated, “I am appalled by the way Renault [Now Alpine]McLaren, Ferrari, and Williams have taken this opportunity to appeal, and in doing so attempted to detract from our performances.”
He also added, “They are dragging our name through the mud and I will not stand by nor accept this.”
Hence, FIA slapped Racing Point with a 15-point penalty and a fine of just over $500,000 for breaking F1’s Sporting Regulations. Lawrence Stroll said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the FIA’s ruling.
However, Racing Point had the last laugh that season as they finished above Renault, Ferrari, and Williams. They also narrowly missed out on P3 against McLaren.
Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll opens up about Aston Martin’s return to F1
Lawrence Stroll knew what he was doing when he rebranded Racing Point to Aston Martin Racing in 2021. The team debuted in F1 in the 2021 Bahrain GP, with Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll as their drivers. The Canadian investor discussed the importance of the Aston Martin brand returning to F1.
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LE CASTELLET, FRANCE – Owner of Racing Point Lawrence Stroll and Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Racing Point walks in the Paddock before final practice for the F1 Grand Prix of France at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
Stroll said, “Having been born on a racetrack, performance DNA runs through Aston Martin’s bloodline and is something we are re-injecting to the Aston Martin brand through our return to Grand Prix racing.”
He also added, “The return of Aston Martin to Formula One has been monumental for the brand, with transformative impact for our performance credentials and global awareness.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Most Glamorous Formula 1 WAGs
Stroll and Aston Martin will hope for better performances and a better car next year. It was a disappointing campaign for them this season as they finished P7. They will hope to compete and challenge McLaren and Alpine next season. Can Aston Martin finish in the top 5 of the WCC next year?
