Former Aston Martin boss Otmar Szafnauer has given his thoughts on the recent struggles of the Silverstone-based team. While he did commend Lawrence Stroll for setting the foundations for Aston Martin to become a top-three side, he did not understate his disappointment in how the outfit have let the Canadian business mogul down.
The Romanian-American engineer also went on to classify Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll as “two good drivers” as per SoyMotor. Therefore, while he did not say so explicitly, Szafnauer was hinting towards a technical letdown leading to Aston Martin‘s current lack of performance and results.
When nudged about what he felt was the reason for the team’s downturn in pace, Szafnauer explained, “For some reason they are performing below my expectations. I’m not very close to the team so I don’t know why that is either.”
Alonso ‘disappointed’ by Aston Martin reality:
– Fernando Alonso expressed being “a little bit disappointed” with Aston Martin’s F1 season so far.
– The team has fallen behind the top four and is no longer consistently competing for high points, a contrast to its performance at… pic.twitter.com/6saZhPSpO5
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) July 31, 2024
The 59-year-old referenced Aston Martin’s performance during the 2024 British Grand Prix to explain why he believes the team are underperforming. “Given the talent in the team, they should be performing better than they are now. They were only the sixth or seventh fastest team at Silverstone,” he concluded.
That being said, Lawrence Stroll has taken some meaningful measures to address the apparent lack of technical depth in the team. Since the arrival of Dan Fallows from Red Bull, the team has added some big names to the squad.
Will Adrian Newey sign for Aston Martin?
Lawrence has been on a hiring spree. Come next year, the Canadian business mogul has already taken two scalps from his championship rivals. Andy Cowell, the mastermind of Mercedes’ engine program, will join the team as their new CEO.
Moreover, Ferrari’s Enrico Cardile is also set to join the Silverstone-based team as their Chief Technical Officer. And amid this spree of signings, the name of Adrian Newey has sensationally been dropped into the conversation.
Aston Martin has reportedly completed the signing of Adrian Newey as per @autosprint, announcement expected early September
It is understood the team is also aiming to sign Max Verstappen for 2026
[https://t.co/GFDfQ5gbeD] pic.twitter.com/khqjUhh8Zx
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) August 6, 2024
Newey was strongly linked to Ferrari after his Red Bull resignation. However, reports now suggest that those talks have broken down and Stroll Sr. has placed a hefty paycheck before the British F1 icon. While no concrete announcement has been made, Newey is touted to join Aston Martin from 2025 onwards.
With Honda’s arrival as a works engine supplier for 2026 and beyond, Newey could be the last piece of the puzzle to propel Aston Martin towards the front of the field. This also aligns with Stroll’s vision for the team in the mid to long-term.
