Racing Point in Aston Martin colours

Racing Point could become Aston Martin as Lawrence Stroll eyes buy-in

2019 F1 season

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The Racing Point Formula 1 team could be rebranded as Aston Martin as its billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll has been linked to a buy-in at the luxury car manufacturer, RaceFans can reveal following a joint investigation with Autocar.

Stroll, whose is believed to be worth more than £2 billion, led a consortium in taking over the Force India F1 team last year when it went into administration. He rebranded the team as Racing Point and has invested heavily in it, and plans to expand its factory next year.

RaceFans understands he is now considering a buy-in at Aston Martin to take advantage of a drop in its value since it floated on the London stock market last year. Aston Martin share prices have fallen from £19 at launch to around the £5 mark, and made a loss of £80 million over the first six months of 2019.

A source indicated Stroll intends to wrap Racing Point in Aston Martin’s British racing green colours if he is successful in buying a controlling stake. An alliance between Aston Martin and Stroll’s Mercedes-powered F1 team would complement the road car company’s technical partnership with the three-pointed star, who also supply their engines. Aston Martin also established an engineering centre at Silverstone, in close proximity to the Racing Point factory, last December.

[icon2019autocoursempu]The move could have serious implications for Red Bull, whose title sponsor is Aston Martin. The two companies have collaborated on the Valkyrie hypercar which is due to enter the 2020-21 World Endurance Championship including the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Stroll, an avid motoring enthusiast with an extensive collection of classic cars, made his money in the fashion industry through brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Pierre Cardin. He did not comment on the report when approached by RaceFans.

Aston Martin’s previous, brief spell in Formula 1 began six decades ago when it entered a pair of DBR4s for Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby in four races. It returned in 1960 but its front-engined car had been superceded by rear-engined rivals, and though it had plans for a rear-engined design, the team cancelled its F1 project before the end of the year.

Additional reporting by Jim Holder.

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55 comments on “Racing Point could become Aston Martin as Lawrence Stroll eyes buy-in”

  1. Lance Stroll as Aston Martin’s official driver. Great PR, sales will skyrocket.

    1. Aston Martin is inevitably linked with James Bond. Now they only need a driver to assume the 007 role.
      They already have the villain.

      1. Get Kimi onboard, slap some zeroes to his racing number and voila we have a mr. Bwooondh

      2. Maybe they should hire Russel then and shove Lance off to be the lead of an endurance racing effort for the brand!

    2. Dex>

      Because Astons are handed out free to the best drivers, rather than things bought by rich people?

      1. And why do the rich people buy these cars (beside them being fine cars I presume)? It’s about prestige, boasting, about their personal image. That’s why they (AM) invested so much in Bond movies after all. It was just funny to imagine Stroll as their new face, someone who’ll be their F1 driver for many, many years to come (as there is no way to replace him with his boss also being his father). He’ll also become someone people (and rich buyers among them) relate this brand to.

        1. Stroll’s laugh is about as un-Bond as you can get.

          It’s really saying something when Perez is a better fit for a Bond car than Lance…

          1. indiana a samuel
            5th December 2019, 21:56

            Correct!

        2. forget bond, a tie-in with Marvel & the Incredible Hulk franchise is the move

      2. Dave It used to be Mercedes Benz who handed the WDC a free car each yr.

  2. If Honda stops as an engine supplier and Mercedes stops as a works team, then Mercedes could supply Red Bull.
    Don’t know what that would mean for Faenza and Brixworth. Alpha Tauri Ferrari, Brawn GP Mercedes?

    1. Why would they want to do that Bart?

      1. @bascb
        Winning titles maybe.
        And according to Auto Bild Mercedes has already offered engines to RBR post 21.

  3. So does this include Tag Engines by Honda?

    1. Well, the Aston road cars are now Mercedes engined so this is actually an instance where they can truly claim a link to the road, which is rare.

  4. I rather like the idea of an Aston Martin in British Racing Green.

    Come back BRM.

    1. Put a yellow nose ring on the pointy end and “Aston Martin Lotus” could be the moniker plus being a great memory jogger. All that is required then, is for Audi/VW to throw their hat (read: money) in the ring by building the engines whilst collaborating with Cosworth. I can almost smell the Castrol R as I type. British Racing Green has been associated with F1 forever. It would be an improvement on pink which should be reserved for ladies silk under-thingies.

      As for bringing back BRM – that V16 lump would have the stewards tied up forever! Stellar suggestion! Unhindered, except for direct safety issues, it would allow F1 teams to get back to the business of racing.
      Bwaah – the mind boggles.

      1. Remember Lotus is now a sister-brand of Volvo and London Taxi, owned by the Chinese Gee Lee, property of the person with the same name, married to President Xi’s daughter…

  5. Interesting.

    1. To be honest, I hope that this doesn’t happen. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing are doing a great job at the moment and are on the rise. Also I strongly dislike that colour on an f1 car as shown at the top.

      Lawrence isnt trying to make racing point faster, he’s just trying to take the speed away from the other teams.

      1. Thats also on FIAs agenda so all the glory to him then.

        1. hahahaha, nice one

  6. Better than the hideous pink livery

    1. I really enjoyed their first couple of seasons with the pink livery when it had all the bubbles. That was very imaginative. However, what they have done this year with the Sport Pesa sponser is hideous (I agree).

  7. Hmmm Aston Martin is much much much better name than Racing Point. In my mind they are still Force India.

    Can you guys imagine next year British racing green with big Aston Martin logos driving around the midfield around 8th place? Battling McLaren for best of the rest honours, I think that would be amazing for Aston Martin brand, especially if they then start to make sports cars with racing pedigree the way McLaren does it now. (Which is a major success compared to other British sports car makers)

    Wonderful.

    1. Project valkery already running. Together with rbr.

    2. In my mind they are still Jordan!

      This story is most interesting from the stance of Aston Martin being saved from their (in hindsight) calamitous decision to float on the stock exchange. If that move has the added benefit of a cherished name, and a cherished colour, coming back into the sport then it’s all to the good.

  8. So let me understand this. Aston Martin would just have their logo on the car just like they do on the Redbull without making any contribution apart from where to place their logo.
    We consumers really are a daft lot.

    1. I am sure there would be some money flowing to Racing point as well though

  9. Never mix business with pleasure, they say.

    To be recognized as a supercar manufacturer, you should have some decent track record.

    To have a decent track record you need top notch facilities, team and driver.

    Enters Alonso?

  10. My goodness this would be horrific for the Aston Martin brand equity…

    1. I see what you mean, but worse than no brand at all?

      AM won’t last much longer without a cash injection.

  11. Maybe this theory (not Facts!) sounds better: Mercedes stays only as PU supplier from 2021. Sells facilities to the new Asian team.

    Stroll’s team hires better part of the former Mercedes staff that needs to get booted due to the new budget limitations.

    Hires 7x WDC Hamilton to drive and mentor Stroll Jr, promising him his own fashion brand.

    Not so far away from reality, you must agree. If I’m right, please put me in the list for Aston Martin’s car launch in 2021!!!

    1. Hires 7x WDC Hamilton to drive and mentor Stroll Jr, promising him his own fashion brand.

      LOL, thanks for that laugh :)

      1. @phylyp Don’t laugh! This is serious!
        Latest development is that Raikkonen will be in charge of communications!

        1. :) thanks i needed that.

    2. Quite a few of the top talent have already moved from Mercedes F1 team to the Formula E to help the design of their challenger there.

      1. Source?

        The FE car is mostly a spec car. Maybe some engineers to work on the racing aspects, drivetrain and suspension, but not much else.

        1. The FE car is mostly a spec car.

          Formula E might think their car is a spec car, and most of the teams might think that too, but when given the “F1” treatment the Mercedes F1E won’t be just any old spec car, it’ll be lighter, faster, accelerate better, have more battery capacity … and cost a fortune.

          1. The current FE rules don’t allow any significant development or design.
            It is a spec series, with Fan Boost of course.

          2. @drycrust, if you read the Technical Regulations for Formula E, you would realise that a lot of those items are either tightly controlled by the regulations, or are standardised components supplied by third parties.

            For example, they cannot make the car lighter as the minimum weight is fixed at 900kg, whilst the battery system is a standardised component which is supplied under exclusive contract by McLaren Applied Technologies with a fixed power output and fixed capacity.

            The chassis is also a standard specification part, being built by Spark Racing Technology in accordance with a design produced by Dallara, and the suspension systems are also standardised components, whilst the entire braking system is a standardised design that is produced by Brembo (which has an exclusive supply deal until 2021).

            @rekibsn is not quite right to call to call it a spec series, as the series does technically allow for some limited areas of development – but they’re not in the areas you think they are. The main areas where development has been permitted so far are in the gearbox, inverter and MGU, although recently they’ve been restricting MGU development over accusations that Nissan was cheating the regulations on recharging rates with their dual-MGU set up. The associated software for those components is also open to some development work.

            However, Formula E shares a similar feature to the WEC, where teams have to homologate their cars and are then banned from introducing updated components during the season – they’re only allowed to use one specification of those listed parts for the entire season.

            As a whole, Formula E isn’t, strictly speaking, a completely spec series, but it is one that certainly uses a significant proportion of standardised parts and is closer in philosophy to a standard specification series than Stephen Crowsen is suggesting.

          3. GLENN A MARTINEZ
            5th December 2019, 21:17

            I’m hoping that they uncap the standardized chassis designed to make Formula E a true series. I’d have little doubt that after several years of development that the FE cars would give most cars outside of F1 a run for their money in terms of pure performance. Developing more efficient Battery technology is at the forefront of every single automaker minds and FE could be the vehicle used to justify rapid development.

  12. And here we were sitting and enjoying the silent and boring off-season.

    Great news, as this might mean we have a whole new manufacturer in F1.

    Or even two! If RBR pays money to Honda for them (Honda) to take over RBR.
    (I know it sounds ridiculous, but why not?!)

  13. I presume this is only the racing side not the road car side also? Never the less it would be good to see british racing green back on the grid after a couple of years

    1. This is the idea that Stroll will (part) own Aston Martin, the company. The whole thing.

      1. Well then it is interesting, if this happens how much he can have a affect on road cars.

  14. José Lopes da Silva
    5th December 2019, 18:29

    We are losing time.

    Mr. Lawrence should just buy the shares from Liberty Media and buy all the teams. Then hire Sirotkin, Sean Gelael, Nicholas Latifi, Nikita Mazepin, Rooy Nissany and every other millionaire trying to buy a seat, fill the remaining 18 places and eventually Lance will become a Formula One champion.

    But beware of Robert Kubica, don’t you dare to put him on that grid. Ne’s perfectly capable to beat Stroll and Sirotkin in the same car.

    1. After his performances this season, I think that some might question whether Kubica really would be capable of beating somebody like Sirotkin (I’ve heard from an acquaintance connected to Formula 2 that Sirotkin was held in much higher regard there than you seem to hold him in).

      1. José Lopes da Silva
        6th December 2019, 10:52

        Sirotkin was the worst of Stroll’s three team-mates. Of course, he was also the one with less experience.

        But as we look to Norris, Leclerc, Russell, as well as to Ocon, Verstappen and Sainz, where do we place Sirotkin? If we use Perez as a reference, Ocon, for instance, is in a different league.

        And I can’t believe that Racing Point failed Stroll regarding anything (guidance, spare parts, etc.), which usually number 2 drivers complain. So no, I don’t think Sirotkin is at that level. He is a good driver, but in F1 you should have the very extreme best ones. There are only 20 seats.

  15. Psst, Lawrence, I’ve got a great deal going on an airline, you could make a small fortune out of it.

    But it would be good to see AML get another billionaire to keep it going before the Chinese buy it to market SUV EVs.

    1. @hohum, you do realise that, asides from the fact that Aston Martin is already in the process of launching an SUV – the DBX – Aston Martin has already announced that it will be reviving the Lagonda marque as an entirely electric sub-division of Aston Martin, and they are currently developing an electric SUV which is scheduled to enter production in 2022?

      1. the Lagonda is, at best, just a concept which will never make it. Aston Martin are more of a design company than a fully integrated car manufacturer who build their own drivetrains (the engines and infotainment are from Mercedes, the gearboxes are stock ZF, etc.). I’m sure the technical and financial difficulties in going full electric are too big for them without substantial investments. It’s actually a surprise they haven’t been bought by a big manufacturer, like it has happened to Bentley or Rolls Royce.

  16. If Lawrence truly is a motor racing enthusiast, then he’ll have to review his driver performances critically. If not at the end of this season then certainly at the end of 2020.

  17. I actually like this. Would get rid of the worst name on the grid and probably remove the most awkward-sounding title sponsorship too. And we’d get green cars. Win-win-win.

  18. I wish I was a billionaire’s son!

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