An interesting read over at the Guardian, sourcing Autocar, regarding the Aston Martin brand and Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll. It seems that if the Lawrence is preparing a bid as part of a consortium to make a significant investment in Aston Martin.
Aston Martin’s 106-year history has been a rocky one as the Guardian points out with seven times the company has gone bust but the new investment could be very welcome news as the recent flotation of its stock has seen a slump in share price but climbed 18% with the rumors.
Aston just released its new SUV and plans 4,000 a year in production but what is more intriguing to Formula 1 fans is just how this investment might impact the grid.
Red Bull have a long history with Aston Martin and even though Honda powers their cars, the livery is replete with Aston Martin logos. The teams engineering genius, Adrian Newey, worked with Aston on their super car. The rumors of a possible Aston Martin power unit for the team were bubbling around a year or so ago.
The fact is, if Stroll does buy a significant stake in Aston Martin, his Racing Point team could be re-branded as the Aston Martin team and this, in my opinion, would leave Red Bull free and clear to go all-in with Honda which I think is a more fitting supplier and brand for a team like Red Bull Racing.
Lawrence gets a portion of a car company, brands his team to promote his investment and has his son, Lance, to trundle around the F1 races. Life is good.
On the flip side, Red Bull would be given a reason to jettison their ties to Aston, engage Honda in a full-throated roar and brand alignment and get down to the business of winning races.
Whether or not this comes to fruition only time will tell but neither Racing Point nor Aston were willing to discuss the matter with the press. To me, it seems like a logical choice and in the end, a great move for Red Bull to finally become a full Honda effort without the awkwardness of their Aston Martin brand ties. Of course Mercedes may have an opinion in this.
Hat Tip: Guardian
