Why does Stroll want Alonso?

During all the Formula 1 Oscar Piastri drama, the folks at Aston Martin are probably sitting and watching it unfold. Reminds me of the meme disaster girl. 

Because it was their decision to sign Alonso that started it all. So the question is. Why did they sign Alonso? Well, the short answer is he’s fast and he’s experienced. 

But we have to understand what Aston Martin expects from him, and more importantly, what does Stroll want? 

The Stroll I’m talking about isn’t Lance Stroll. It’s his dad, Lawrence Stroll. 

Who is Lawrence stroll? Well, he’s a Canadian Billionaire and according to Forbes, He’s worth almost 3 Billion Dollars. Lawrence Stroll masterminded Michael Kors’ hugely successful IPO in 2011. The bulk of Stroll’s fortune comes from selling his shares in the American fashion brand; he sold the last of his stake in 2014.

 And he bought out the then cash-strapped Force India in 2018. 

He then led a group of investors to make a $235.6 million investment in Aston Martin in early 2020, Stroll became executive chairman of the car company. And a part of the deal was that Racing Point, or force India, Became Aston Martin Racing. Marking the brands return to Formula 1 after 60 years. 

When the company rebranded to Aston martin, Things changed. 

The Aston Martin name is a prestigious one. And one of their first steps was to hire a 4-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel to be their driver. Since Aston Martin would be starting as a team right down the order, they knew that they would need time. But they all knew that they would need funding. And that’s where the drivers come in. 

Having a World champion drive your car for the season says a lot about your team. Not every team has a Formula 1 world champion driving their car. A Champion is a proven winner. They’ve done it consistently over a season and they have what it to extract all the pace out of the car. 

And that my friends are reassuring to investors and sponsors. They know that the team means business. And that they aren’t just taking part, for the money. Yes, there’s a ton of money involved don’t get me wrong.  American IT firm Cognizant is reportedly paying around 20 – 35 Millions $ per year to be the main sponsor of the team. 

Stroll Acts Quick

So that’s why When Vettel announced his retirement, Lawrence Stroll wasted no time in filling the seat. He knew that the longer the seat was vacant, the more the rumours would start. And that would affect the company. 

 The classic example of this is Alpine. They’re currently 4th in the World championship. Behind Mercedes, but above all the other midfield team. Yet, they have an empty seat and are getting a ton of bad press cause of this. 

Mike Krack Speaks on Alonso

So reflecting on the fact that Alonso signed for Aston Martin, the team Boss Mike Krack said that he was excited to work with Fernando next season, while also being aware that he will demand a lot from the team.

“He just has that killer instinct.

Signing Fernando is a clear statement of our intent at Aston Martin F1. Aston Martin are not on the grid to make up the numbers. We are here to win.

We are on a journey to the front of the grid and Fernando’s decision to join us on that journey – to have a driver of his calibre believe in the Aston Martin F1 project – is a great compliment to our team and the work we are doing.

He will demand a lot from us, but that’s to be expected from a multiple World Champion. Fernando will be a driving force as we climb together and, like everyone in the team, I cannot wait to work with him. “

So there you have it, The team needed a proven race winner, and they signed Fernando Alonso.