Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner reflects on the ongoing problems at the Aston Martin team. The team is currently last in the constructors’ championship, despite Lawrence Stroll’s promise to bring Aston Martin to the top. According to Steiner, the Canadian businessman simply does not have the patience to make his Formula 1 team succeed.
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What should have been a flying start to the season for Aston Martin with new team principal Adrian Newey at the helm has so far turned into a disappointment for Lawrence Stroll’s team. The Canadian promised in 2022 that his team would compete ‘at the top’ of the field within five years, but a year before that deadline, Aston Martin is last in the constructors’ championship after three Grands Prix.
Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner sees how Lawrence Stroll has indeed kept his word by investing nearly one billion in Aston Martin. “He just wasn’t successful,” Steiner explains in the Drive to Wynn podcast. “He set up the new facility in Silverstone, which is fantastic, and he attracted the best people.”
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‘No patience’
The former Haas team principal then points out the reason why Stroll’s plan has not worked so far. “I think he doesn’t have the patience that is needed in Formula 1,” says Steiner. “If it doesn’t work within six or twelve months, he changes course. The cycle in Formula 1 is not twelve months. You have to wait until something works.”
In addition, Aston Martin is also struggling with problems with the Honda engine. The Japanese engine manufacturer is working with the British team for the first time this season. “I’m sure he can’t put pressure on Honda,” Steiner continues. “Honda takes the time needed to get this right. He has no control over that. He can put pressure on and say they need to hurry up, but they will do it at their own pace, just like they did when they came back last time. It must be difficult. That man has invested so much money and is working very hard on it. At the moment, it’s not good for him, for the company, to be where they are now.”
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