Will Buxton notes that Lawrence Stroll’s strategy with Aston Martin is similar to Roman Abramovich’s method with Chelsea FC.
Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in Aston Martin over the years, but his move to bring in Adrian Newey with equity has not yielded results.
With Honda’s power unit issues affecting Aston Martin’s performance this season, Buxton sees parallels with a past English Premier League scenario.
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Will Buxton likens Lawrence Stroll’s management of Aston Martin to Chelsea under Roman Abramovich
In the Up to Speed podcast, Will Buxton discussed Aston Martin’s recent challenges both on and off the track, criticizing Lawrence Stroll’s management approach.
He compared Aston Martin’s situation to a football club owned by a wealthy individual who made quick decisions without achieving results.
“It resembles a football club owned by a Russian oligarch in the 90s and 2000s that threw money at every issue, changed managers often, and ultimately didn’t find success,” he said.
“I don’t agree with this view. Formula 1 isn’t like football. You don’t change managers every six months. I find it troubling.”
Buxton’s co-hosts indicated he was referring to Chelsea FC, which faced similar turmoil after Abramovich’s purchase in 2003.
Aston Martin aims for improvement after a challenging season start
Aston Martin’s performances this season have been notably poor, with the Chinese Grand Prix highlighting their struggles.
Fernando Alonso was seen taking his hands off the steering wheel amid overwhelming vibrations, a dangerous move for any racer, especially for an experienced driver like him.
The Honda power unit is believed to be causing these vibrations, and fixing the issue is expected to take time, despite the suppliers claiming they’ve identified solutions.
Currently, Aston Martin needs to shift its focus from competing this season to addressing the problems that have made the AMR26 nearly undrivable.