Over the course of the week, two pieces of news came to light regarding Lawrence Stroll, the first being the internal reorganization of Aston Martin Lagonda, the departure of Tobias Moers, who served as CEO, to replace Amedeo Felisa, and the other is that Stroll himself confirmed that he has spoken with Audi representatives to negotiate a likely partial or full sale of the Formula 1 team, once the German manufacturer’s plans to enter the category from the 2026 season onwards were confirmed. Stroll’s management can be described as negative, the value of the team at Silverstone has increased since he was taken over by the Canadian, so from his position it seems like a good deal to get out of Formula 1 if they make him a good offer.
After Stroll’s statements, it is clear that Audi wants to take over a team and rumors indicate that the Germans have knocked on the door of McLaren, Sauber, Williams and Aston Martin. It is nothing new for the Silverstone based team to be involved in a buy and sell transaction as it has gone through several hands since it was founded as Jordan Grand Prix. Audi also rumored to have made a proposal to McLaren to buy only the Formula 1 team and not the manufacturer as such, the same would apply to Aston Martin. Lawrence Stroll’s position is not comfortable, as he has seen He has practically wasted millions over the past three years, trying to turn a mid-table team into a winner, a wish that seems less and less fulfilled, even long-term planning falters if current results do not guarantee profitability, as a short sum of points jeopardizes the budget for the next season.
The news of the Aston Martin Lagonda CEO change also aims to analyze why Tobias Moers left his position due to strategic differences with Lawrence Stroll. Everything points to his disagreement with the Canadian’s management because Aston Martin has no involvement with the Formula 1 team as such, but rather Stroll has linked the manufacturer’s name to his personal project, taking advantage of the fact that he owns the rights, case similar to what has happened to Lotus and Caterham in recent years. Supposedly Moers disagreed with the way Stroll was involved as he tended to make decisions over the management of the team hence he has also experienced differences in criteria with both Bob Fernley and Otmar Szafnauer who are both from their respective features have been removed.
The interesting thing about this move is that two years ago Moers left Mercedes AMG, Aston Martin’s main technical partner, and is replaced by Amedeo Felisa, former CEO of Ferrari. During the Moers administration, internal development was paused, including that of its own production V6 engine, to instead acquire all the technology Mercedes could offer. Although the German manufacturer has shares in Aston Martin, the amount is not significant enough to make decisions in high positions, which is why Felisa and also Roberto Fedeli, another former Ferrari, are going to work as technical director, indicates that there are major changes of plans when it comes to Stroll’s vision.
These adjustments accentuate rumors that Stroll is looking for buyers for Aston Martin and therefore wants less reliance on Mercedes, a situation that could be transferred to Formula 1 where the technology transfer from Mercedes is almost total, this is where Aston Martin works basically as a sponsor, just like with Red Bull. Another situation threatening the team, in addition to the poor performance, is the likely departure of Sebastian Vettel at the end of this season, as he lacks confidence in the project Stroll offers in the medium and long term. At this point it becomes clear that Lawrence Stroll has bought Force India to guarantee his son a seat and furthermore he has managed to convince several sponsors to invest in his dream hence the name of the team Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team but You are aware of the current value of your company, what they offer you and what may happen in the future.
The truth is that Lawrence Stroll was immersed in Formula 1 by his son Lance, but a five-year project for the team to be competitive, based on various uncertainties, does not seem very feasible, with all the hired staff and resources reversed. Lance Stroll does not exactly point to a serious contender for a championship title in Formula 1 in the coming years. Audi has already said it will fall into the category and its plan is to buy a team, Lawrence Stroll knows his business and what would happen if he doesn’t consider selling and instead continues to wait for results, while the Germans, faced with a refusal, go elsewhere to invest their millions.
