Aston Martin F1

I read a story that AM will be partner with Honda and get Max as their #1 driver.

Comments?

 

Yeah, read the same thing too....that was at least a month ago. Lawrence going to pay Max a ridiculous amount of money to sign him.

Blah....blah......blah.

 

Actually I was more wondering about the Honda part since AM is currently entrenched with Merc.

Not that I don't care about Max but they have a good #1 right now. I'm much more interested in their car development story since that's where they are lacking behind brutally.

 

Yes with Honda.

Car development? New state-of-the-art wind tunnel and Newey.....rock solid development.

 

Adrian Newey, Honda and Max Verstappen at Aston Martin, would that be the dream team ?

 

Only if Lance is still part of the equation.

 

IF the AMR26 has W05 potential i.e. dominance, Lance SHOULD come in 2nd place behind Alonso. Lance "tifosi" will make YouTube videos of the Canadian's [cough] [cough] "skill and talent" and it will be a riot of Lance supporters. Lawrence will then put his son on a pedestal and dictate how "great" his son is.....as a father and as a promoter.

 

Alonso would be expected to fall on his sword and gift some victories to Lance.

 

Lawrence would never ask the better driver that's leading the race to do that..... oh wait. He has.

 

I wonder what RPM is going to say about Lance should the scenario in post #1357 pand out.

 

Aston Martin lures Newey's ex-Red Bull lieutenant back to F1


Aston Martin has lured one of Adrian Newey’s former Red Bull lieutenants back to Formula 1 to help drive forward its simulation tools, The Race can reveal

 

Alonso: Failed Aston Martin F1 upgrades “should never have happened”

 

Aston Martin Stumbles Again As Investors Patience Is Tested
https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2025/10/07/aston-martin-stumbles-again-as-investors-patience-is-tested/

--“I think it is now in survival mode and must be running out of funding options - I don’t think Mercedes or the Chinese will touch it but the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund who already have a 20% stake may move in with a takeover bid,” Tennant said.

Tennant said Hallmark’s recovery plan hasn’t moved the dial.

“But 12 months in the story seems much the same as the past few years at Aston Martin with flagging annual sales which still stubbornly remain below 6,000 and a country mile off the 10,000 aimed at by previous bosses, significant debts of £1.5 billion ($2 billion), a share price in free fall, and more losses expected this year of around £110 million ($148 million). In April it was forecasting a 2025 profit,” Tennant said in an email exchange.

He said the forced cuts in capital expenditure and engineering investment might be necessary but this will have negatives too.

“This will inevitably restrict the company’s future product plan - the very thing it needs to grow and sustain the business,” Tennant said.

Meanwhile in Maranello on October 9, Ferrari will unveil its first electric car, and no doubt proudly point to its fulfilled profit promises since flotation from Fiat Chrysler 10 years ago and resulting luxury sector share valuation. Aston Martin investors will be grinding their teeth.---

 

The AML investors should have controled the management more closely, IMO, and not let them drive the company to the edge of bankruptcy. I am surprised that Lawrence Stroll didn't question some of the projects he inherited from the previous management. The mid-engine Valkyrie and Valhalla programme is a bottomless pit that will, in the end, threaten AM solvency. £Billions have already been spent there, for Aston Martin to join what is a very limited market already covered (Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren).

AML has to limit its ambitions, and live within its means. They had a loyal customer base with its DB and Zagato range.

 

Yuki Tsunoda lifeline shuts as Aston Martin makes key F1 2026 announcement


The role will see Crawford, the American driver currently competing in the F2 feeder series, attend every race of next year’s 24-calendar as Aston Martin’s reserve driver.

Aston Martin said: “Today we have announced that Young Driver Jak Crawford will become the team’s Third Driver for the 2026 Formula One season.

 

GO Lance LOL

Lawrence Stroll vows he won’t stop until Aston Martin are F1 world champions
2026 will be a big year for the Aston Martin F1 team

 

Not gonna happen. He can spend all the money in the world, Lawrence Stroll and AMRF1 will not be world champions as long as his son is still in an F1 seat.

 

FIFY

 

Correct he has limited his exposure but is happy to fund a failed effort with Lance so far, with others resources. Its all about 'team value' in F1 team hedge fund so called 'franchise' world lol. Unlike Ferrari, Aston is a ghost and the team in the real world, is worth more than the 'car' company. Its currently on round 50000000000000 of life support and barely produces anything worth buying at all.

 

Correct.

It still amazes me the direction of that team. Remember when in 2023 they started so well, with Alonso getting podium pretty much every single race? And Stroll barely got into the points? Then they dumbed the car down so that Stroll could get closer to his teammate...but the only way to achieve this was by making the cars' actual performance worse. This is the mindset of the powers that be in that team.

No wonder Alonso parked his car up after being ordered to let Stroll passed for zero reason in Mexico.

 

I don't agree with that at all.
The Vantage, DB12 and Vanquish are similar to front-engine Ferraris and very desirable.
The DBX SUV is their "bread and butter, just like the Urus is for Lamborghini, or the Cayenne for Porsche.

 

^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^

 

Their current and past losses, reduced investment in engineering and capital expenses and only producing 6000 vehicles a year, if that and they are not worth the money. There are better alternatives with better performance and engineering for less or similar price. I like Aston but its a slow painful death and Stroll has ensured the team will survive but the maker wont unless drastic change is found and implemented.

No one wants to buy this 'company' as it stands. The name is not enough anymore. Its not a brand that is synonymous with success or cutting edge engineering. Not anymore from what the numbers are saying. Heritage only takes 1 so far now. Clearly a year over year money pit of a maker. Bread yes, not sensing any 'butter'.

 

The DBX 707 doesn't even have a touch screen in the dash, in a car that can be optioned close to $300k. That's unacceptable, IMO.

The DB12 did nothing for me, but I really did like driving the new Vantage on track. I think the Vanquish is a stunner but will have to hold off on a final opinion until I can get hands on one. Early reviews seemed to like it just about as much as the 12Cilindri. Vanquish depreciation seems heavy already, perhaps not surprisingly with MSRPs in the US well over $500k with options.