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Lawrence Stroll & Co. Justify $250,000,000 Betrayal of Mercedes as Aston Martin Sets Sight on Bigger Prize With Newest Heavyweight Partner

Published 06/12/2023, 1:30 PM EDT

For all the glamor, the reality of F1 is cutthroat competition. Teams look for the tiniest bit of advantage. In Aston Martin’s case, they found themselves in the middle of a huge opportunity that could turn out to be a massive advantage. As the Silverstone-based team sets eyes on the bigger prize with its new partners, Lawrence Stroll and Co. justify the $250,000,000 betrayal of Mercedes. What was the justification that was given?

Aston Martin, formerly known as Racing Point and Force India, has been using the Mercedes engine for around 15 years now. It all started when the Force India VJM02 featured a Mercedes engine and that has been the story ever since. The partnership extends beyond the track as many of Aston Martin’s road cars have a tuned Mercedes Engine as well. Nevertheless, Aston Martin has now invested $250,000,000 in the development of the new factory and wind tunnel which is said to boost the team up the grid.

However, there still was one missing piece of the puzzle. Aston Martin’s dependency on Mercedes for the engine meant they could not design the rear of the car as per their needs. Therefore, to optimize the new factory’s advantages, Lawrence Stroll and Co. signed a deal with Honda as Aston Martin will become a works team from 2026. Martin Whitmarsh further explained how to fulfill Lawrence Stroll’s dream and justify his investment, winning the championship is crucial and that means beating Mercedes, which gets tough if you’re a customer team.

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According to Formula1news.co.uk, Martin Whitmarsh said “The nature of F1 is if you want to win, it means beating Mercedes and it is extremely difficult to beat an organization as good as Mercedes if you are reliant on them for intellectual property, facilities and components.” Whitmarsh further elaborated on how the Silverstone outfit has always been punching above its weight.

Although, confident of Aston Martin & Lawrence Stroll’s booming reign, he stated, “The Aston Martin brand, the ambition of Lawrence Stroll and now with great partners like Honda, we are here to win.”

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Signing with Honda and becoming a works team will definitely increase the load on the team, but that’s exactly what the new factory is for. And the benefit is the fact that Aston Martin will have full autonomy over how they develop each aspect of the car. Christian Horner chimed in suggesting similar thoughts.

Christian Horner on Aston Martin signing with Honda

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Red Bull will be feeling a bit awkward considering Honda left them only to return with Aston Martin. So Christian Horner & Co. complaining about Honda’s new partnership is quite expected. Regardless, the Red Bull TP diplomatically praised Aston’s tactical move to gain independence from its current Mercedes association.

According to Formula1news.co.uk, Christian Horner mentioned how Aston Martin already has a competitive engine. He stated the key benefit for them, “They will perhaps achieve more independence because I guess their architecture is currently dictated by another team [Mercedes]. And it’s very expensive for them in the cap, the transferable components come with a big tax on them, so it’s not cost-efficient for them to be a customer.”

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WATCH THIS STORY | How is Aston Martin Allying with Honda for its F1 Title Challenge from 2026?

Nevertheless, Aston Martin’s current form is looking quite promising. So, one never knows if they could achieve Lawrence Stroll’s dream of fighting for the championship even before Honda’s arrival in 2026. Still, what do you think, will Aston’s Honda risk pay off?

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Written by:

Pranay Bhagi is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports, who has always been passionate about sports and writing. With a degree from a prestigious institute, he has channeled his enthusiasm into sports journalism, particularly F1, a sport that has captivated him for over a decade. Pranay's deep-rooted love for the sport began during the Sebastian Vettel era, and he has been following it religiously ever since.

Edited by:

Aishwary Gaonkar

Lawrence Stroll & Co. Justify $250,000,000 Betrayal of Mercedes as Aston Martin Sets Sight on Bigger Prize With Newest Heavyweight Partner

Christian Horner on Aston Martin signing with Honda

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