Lawrence Stroll is a wealthy man – but above all else, an ambitious entrepreneur. His arrival in Formula 1 rescued the struggling Force India team from the bring, transforming it first into Racing Point and finally into Aston Martin.
The Canadian businessman has given life to a project which, in the long run, could represent a significant and consistent challenge to the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. The aim is clear – to become a true Top Team.
In line with this ambition, an announcement confirming Aston Martin will be powered by Honda from 2026 is expected in a few hours. The Japanese giant will return to the F1 Circus, and not just as a technical partner.
Aston Martin: the leap in quality with the Red Bull men waiting for the infrastructure
Stroll Sr.’s ambition and economic firepower have brought important names to Aston Martin, many of whom are already contributing to the team’s early success. Among these key figures is the Italian Luca Furbatto, who arrived from Alfa Romeo.
However, the most important signing has been Dan Fallows, one of Adrian Newey’s right-hand men at Red Bull – in addition to first Sebastian Vettel and now Fernando Alonso as the drivers to lead the team.
Fallows’ first input for these new regulations was seen with last year’s b-spec AMR22 in Barcelona, although this year’s challenger is already proving a more accurate representation of Aston Martin’s potential.
The bright minds and skills present at Aston Martin today have created this leap in quality as the team waits for new infrastructure to take a further step – courtesy of Lawrence Stroll’s investment.
The new factory is currently under construction, with a wind tunnel and the latest generation simulator, which will help Aston Martin become even more independent.
At the moment, Dan Fallows and his technicians rely heavily on Mercedes, using the Brackley wind tunnel, also using the Anglo-German company’s Power Unit, gearbox and rear suspension.
As we have already written, this structure has already been a limiting factor for the Silverstone team, being forced to work around elements such as the dimensions of the Mercedes gearbox.
Producing it in the factory will also offer greater freedom of development, as Alfa Romeo-Sauber has chosen to do ahead of Audi’s arrival, to have more freedom in design. This final step is expected in 2026.
Aston Martin ‘leaves’ Mercedes and signs with Honda for a technical-commercial agreement starting from 2026
The Silverstone team will retrace the same path taken by Red Bull years ago, deciding to abandon the road as a customer team and start ‘on their own’ with the help of Honda.
The Japanese manufacturers replaced Renault at Red Bull, offering Adrian Newey and his team full collaboration also in the design of elements of the Power Unit, such as with the cooling systems.
Lawrence Stroll has, therefore, decided to end the collaboration with Mercedes at the end of 2025 and welcome Honda’s comeback, which will take place with the new 2026 power unit regulations.
The return of the Japanese giant will not only help Aston Martin from a technical point of view but also commercially. In fact, Honda will invest in this project with the new Power Units and with sponsorship, giving the British teams security with its new partner. The Canadian entrepreneur’s ambitions can thus rest on solid foundations, aiming to stabilise his team among the best in Formula 1.
This important announcement will also have consequences on the driver market.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll’s immediate futures are not in question, especially in the case of the Canadian. Alonso’s presence in 2026 is not guaranteed, though, while Stroll will have to show constant progress, starting with this year’s current one, to stay in F1.
In the scenario Alonso eventually leaves the team, Aston Martin and Lawrence Stroll should have no problem in recruiting top-calibre drivers to replace him – especially given their current level of performance.
Authors: Paolo D’Alessandro & Giuliano Duchess
Translation: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
