Lawrence Stroll spent countless amounts of money to conquer Formula 1. This year was supposed to be his year. The result is one of the most embarrassing season starts in the history of the sport, so writes Bas Holtkamp in his column ‘Uppercut‘ in FORMULE 1 Magazine.
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Multi-billionaire Lawrence Stroll has bought whatever he wanted his whole life. Tommy Hilfiger. Michael Kors. A Formula 1 team. A British sports car brand. A new factory in Silverstone, brand new, bigger and shinier than those of the competition. And while he was at it: also the best designer in the world. Adrian Newey. Simply packed up and taken along.
And yet. This season, his team starts as the laughing stock of the grid. In fact: the opening race in Melbourne was nothing more than a glorified test session for Aston Martin. That is the result of all that money. Of all those ambitions. Of the massive factory, the new wind tunnel, the Honda partnership, and the arrival of Newey.
Dot on the horizon
Bernie Ecclestone recently looked at it. The old fox, who has seen everything in this sport, shrugged his shoulders. That’s how it goes, he said. You can buy a lot in F1, but not a world title. Ferrari knows all about it. From the start, the best drivers, the biggest budgets, the fattest contracts. But winning the championship there has also been nothing more than a dot on the horizon for almost twenty years now.
And then we haven’t even talked about the boss’s son. Lance. Already nine years in Formula 1, solely thanks to one thing: his last name. In the history of the pinnacle of motorsport, no one has been stuck in Q1 as often as he has. Moreover, he beat his teammate zero times in qualifying last season. ZERO.
Does Lawrence realize that there are so many drivers rattling at the gates of Formula 1? Guys who would give everything for that seat. Who sleep in trailers, call sponsors, drive for pennies. But no, this seat remains occupied by someone who has had more than enough chances.
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Old washing machine
And poor Fernando Alonso. What hasn’t this man given for his sport. Two world titles, in 2005 and 2006. Then years of struggle, of almost and just not. He could have been a five-time world champion! Now he is 44 and his contract expires at the end of 2026. He knows it himself: this will probably be his last season. And he dared to dream. Newey. Honda. New regulations. Everything finally seemed to fall into place for the final chapter.
“It is the deciding factor,” Alonso said about 2026. The motivation, hope, and last chance.
And what does he get? A car with a Honda engine that vibrates like an old washing machine on the spin cycle. Thank you, Mr. Strulović.
Ah, it’s a story as old as the sport itself. Money makes you fast, but not automatically the fastest. The puzzle pieces you really need are not for sale. Ironically, as an investor, Stroll has gold in his hands. F1 is more popular than ever, teams have become worth billions. And he sits at the head of the table. Business-wise: brilliant.
But on a sporting level, he now realizes what Bernie already knew: this game has its own rules. And they are not for sale. Fortunately.
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