– According to Formula 1 expert Marc Surer, Aston Martin’s current crisis is not just related to the new engine partner Honda. Even independently of the cooperation with the Japanese, he sees several construction sites at the Silverstone-based racing team.
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“It reminds me a bit of Toyota,” Surer draws a comparison in an exclusive interview on the Formel1.de YouTube channel and explains: “Toyota also bought in back then, money was no object. They had the largest team in Formula 1 at times with over 1,000 people.”
“And nothing came of it,” Surer recalls and explains that Toyota won no world championship title and “not even a race” during its time in the premier class. Toyota was active in Formula 1 with its own works team for a total of eight years between 2002 and 2009.
Although they had a large budget available during this period, they did not achieve more than three pole positions and 13 podium finishes in 139 races. In the world championship, P4 in the 2005 season was the best result. At the end of 2009, they finally pulled the plug.
In fact, there are certainly parallels to Aston Martin. Since the Silverstone team has been competing under this name, it has also not yet achieved a victory in five years in Formula 1 – even though team owner Lawrence Stroll invested a lot of money.
Many prominent new additions, but little success
In recent years, the racing team not only got a new factory, but numerous big names were also signed for the Formula 1 project. On the driver side, it was initially Sebastian Vettel and later Fernando Alonso, and the team was also prominently strengthened at the management level.
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In recent years, for example, former McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh and long-time Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell came to Silverstone. In addition, Dan Fallows was brought in from Red Bull and Enrico Cardile from Ferrari. The highlight was the signing of design legend Adrian Newey in 2024.
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“If you have too many good people, there is a struggle for competence,” Surer emphasizes, however. And indeed, there have been repeated restructurings at Aston Martin in recent years. Some new additions have already left the team again.
Currently, Newey is team principal, which according to Surer cannot be a permanent solution. “He is a technician, a super technician, the best we know,” Surer emphasizes. But: “He is not a team principal for me.” Accordingly, the next restructuring could soon be due at Aston Martin.
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According to Surer, the team now needs peace and continuity above all. “And that is not yet the case. I believe they still have to find their way somehow in that bunch with so many good people, so that everyone has their task,” says the expert.
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