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Despite Shelling Out $300,000,000 for Major Development, Lawrence Stroll & Co. Refuse to Cut Ties With Direct Rivals Mercedes to Follow Their Ultimate Dream

Published 05/20/2023, 9:45 AM EDT

Lawrence Stroll wasn’t joking when he led a consortium to buy out Force India for roughly $117 million. He had bet on the underdogs of the grid, who were highly competitive but lacked resources over the years. That is where Stroll’s investment and partnerships came in, as he was hell-bent on making a successful team. For that, he sought nearly $311 million in investment for the team.

Previously, the team had partnered with Red Bull and got to know some things about the sport. But in 2018, as Force India added Racing Point to its name, things started to change for Stroll. But one thing that remained the same throughout was its partnership with Mercedes for the power unit and other parts essential for the car’s development. And now, finally, even before moving to their new factory, Aston Martin has outpaced Mercedes. Despite the proximity of the move, the team depends on Toto Wolff and his squad for the wind tunnel and other necessities, and they express a high level of satisfaction with their services.

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Speaking about the recent speculations about Mercedes parts holding the team back, Dan Fallows, the team’s technical director, expressed his satisfaction with their neighboring F1 team. Even as they plan to move to a new complex on the Northamptonshire racing circuit, Fallows, as quoted by Motorsport Total, says, “As engineers, we naturally work with the restrictions that are available to us. And so far I’ve found no reason to want anything other than what we got from them. That would be the case if we were really dependent on them in areas that would limit our performance.”

He adds, “Honestly, I don’t think anything we get from Mercedes will limit our performance. Does anything prevent us from achieving the goals we want to achieve? No absolutely not.”

After Pocketing $80,000,000 From F1 Success, Billionaire Lawrence Stroll Gears Up to Launch $275,000 Project as Fernando Alonso’s Blistering Start Adds the Cherry on the Top

So, it looks like Aston Martin won’t be moving away from Mercedes. Dan Fallows also expressed contentment with their current relationship with Mercedes, stating that they were very pleased with the engine partner they had. Their reliability over the Brackley-based outfit will continue until there’s any confirmation on the rumored deal with Honda for their power unit from 2026 onwards.

Lawrence Stroll & Co. are ready for their leap

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If you think the winter development of Aston Martin, this season was impressive, you could be wrong. It’s impressive how the team managed to pull off such a feat using the facilities of Mercedes. So, one can only imagine the beast that will come out of the $300 million facility.

The team will produce its first car in the new facilities in 2025. That year could prove to be a game changer, far more than what they have already accomplished this year. Fallows appears to be highly optimistic about the project, as the new wind tunnel will become operational in mid-2024. In the meantime, the engineers could benefit from the gradual opening and coming together instead of the current spread-out arrangements.

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WATCH THIS STORY | Will Aston Martin F1 Ditch Mercedes to Partner with Honda for 2026?

The investment in the factory can prove to be a game-changer even more than this year. Will Fernando Alonso be there to oversee the development alongside Lawrence Stroll? Only the boss knows.

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Written by:

Manan Goel is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports, who graduated in literature from the University of Delhi before discovering his passion for the world of Formula 1. With over 400 published articles, his writing reflects his in-depth knowledge of the sport and his ability to provide unique insights. Manan's passion for F1 began when he first saw Sebastian Vettel's exhilarating drives with Red Bull.

Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai

Despite Shelling Out $300,000,000 for Major Development, Lawrence Stroll & Co. Refuse to Cut Ties With Direct Rivals Mercedes to Follow Their Ultimate Dream

Lawrence Stroll & Co. are ready for their leap

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