Could Aston Martin become F1’s next super team?

Aston Martin will enter the fifth season of their latest F1 adventure in 2025, a point by which billionaire businessman owner Lawrence Stroll hoped the team would be fighting for world titles. With this in mind, and major regulation changes on the horizon, F1.com runs through the manufacturer’s record in the sport so far and the various pieces of the puzzle they have been assembling in that quest for glory…

The journey to this point

Aston Martin first appeared on the F1 scene in the late-1950s and early-1960s, fielding Britain’s Roy Salvadori, America’s Carroll Shelby and France’s Maurice Trintignant – all sportscar stars during that time – at a handful of Grand Prix weekends.

Without a point to their name, the manufacturer disappeared from the sport and were not seen again for some 60 years, when the aforementioned Stroll bought a stake in Aston Martin and opted to rebrand the Racing Point team he had recently purchased.

Pairing four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel with Stroll’s son, Lance, the squad finished seventh in the 2021 and 2022 constructors’ standings, which included the transition to ‘ground effect’ regulations and Mike Krack replacing Otmar Szafnauer as Team Principal.

Roy Salvadori, Aston Martin DBR5, Grand Prix of Great Britain, Silverstone Circuit, 16 July 1960. — Salvadori hustles his Aston Martin during the brand’s first F1 stint

Then, for 2023, and the second year of F1’s latest technical era, Aston Martin welcomed the sought-after skills of former Red Bull designer Dan Fallows and the pedigree of another multiple champion in Fernando Alonso, who took over from the retiring Vettel.

It was at this point that the Silverstone-based operation began to show the kind of form Stroll Sr. had been banking on, the much-improved AMR23 storming out of the blocks in Alonso’s hands to score six podiums across the first eight races of the season, occasionally battle for wins and help Aston Martin climb to a more respectable fifth in the championship order.

What was supposed to be the next step forward in 2024 failed to materialise, though, with their latest car missing the mark, upgrades not resolving the situation when they were introduced and just 94 points being scored compared to the previous tally of 280.

If anything, the situation has only made Stroll even more determined to succeed, underlined by a slew of new signings and a works Honda engine deal from 2026 onwards that complements the already huge investment in an enormous, all-new headquarters.

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 23: Fernando Alonso of Spain driving the (14) Aston Martin AMR24 — Aston Martin have finished seventh, seventh, fifth and fifth since returning to the sport

A “game-changing” Silverstone campus

Let’s start with this all-new factory, or the Aston Martin F1 Team Technology Campus to give it its full name, which has become the first completely new F1 base for almost two decades and one that covers a staggering 400,000 square feet.

The first building in a three-phase project went live in the summer of 2023, during the week of that year’s British Grand Prix, with this space featuring the team’s design office as well as roomy engineering, production, commercial and manufacturing areas.

Work has continued apace on building two, which will house a new driver simulator, restaurant, gym and event space, and building three, which will boast a new wind tunnel and model shops, providing another dedicated area for engineers and designers.

“I’m incredibly impressed by our new home,” said Alonso, with stints at big-name teams Renault, Ferrari and McLaren for comparison. “All the facilities are second to none and I see a lot of smiles when I walk around. To win in this sport you need to excel at everything, and this new facility is a game changer.”

That’s not to mention the huge steps forward made in terms of sustainability, from better insulation to solar panels and electric vehicle fast charging points to the planting of trees – and a carbon footprint reduction of 278 tonnes in CO2 emissions annually.

Aston Martin recently started working in their all-new headquarters

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Aston Martin recently started working in their all-new headquarters

A works engine supply deal

Shortly before that first building opened its doors, Aston Martin announced a new works engine partnership with Honda, whose power units have helped Max Verstappen rack up the last four drivers’ titles and Red Bull secure the 2022 and 2023 constructors’ crowns.

This meeting of automotive giants will officially kick in from the 2026 season, when overhauled technical regulations – including engines that feature increased electrical power and 100% sustainable fuels – are introduced to the sport.

ANALYSIS: How and why Honda and Aston Martin got together for 2026

Honda have set up a new UK base to perform post-race maintenance and preparation tasks on the power units provided to Aston Martin, who will continue with a Mercedes engine – and associated parts such as gearboxes – through 2025.

As summarised by Honda’s Global CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, such sweeping rule changes – with similar situations in the past bringing major shake-ups to the pecking order – give Aston Martin a golden opportunity to make the leap required and reach their ultimate target.

“Honda and our new partner, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same sincere attitude and determination to win, so starting with the 2026 season, we will work together and strive for the championship title as Aston Martin Aramco Honda,” he commented.

2026 Engine regulations: Everything you need to know

An array of big-name signings

There’s not just a new home and a new engine partnership to write about, though, for Aston Martin have announced a slew of managerial and technical signings over the last few years – arguably the biggest coming a few months ago when they lured Adrian Newey from Red Bull.

Newey, whose designs have been piloted to 26 world titles across his spells at Williams, McLaren and most recently Red Bull, will formally join the team in early March as their new Managing Technical Partner – Lawrence Stroll describing him as “the greatest in the world at what he does”.

Since that announcement, former Mercedes engine guru Andy Cowell – who arrived last summer as Group Chief Executive Officer – has also taken on the Team Principal role, a move Aston Martin believe will provide “clarity of leadership” in a “flatter structure”.

Moving forward, the team’s aerodynamics, engineering and performance departments will be separate, dedicated trackside and campus-based teams – both reporting into Cowell – with a view to delivering “the best race car performance”.

SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Adrian Newey and Lawrence Stroll, Owner, Aston Martin F1 Team, — Newey will start his new position at Aston Martin in a couple of months’ time

Krack has been shifted to an on-location Chief Trackside Officer role, while back at base new Chief Technical Officer Enrico Cardile will oversee the architecture, design and build of Aston Martin’s new challengers alongside the arriving Newey – Fallows having stepped back from his Technical Director role.

“Everyone should be playing to their strengths, so it’s about working out what they are, how they fit in and how they can contribute to the car,” Cowell explained to the official Aston Martin website. “It’s up to me to make sure we’ve got the strength and balance in the team to deliver the best reward in terms of lap time.”

World-beating driving talent

Another crucial part of extracting that lap time is the person sitting in the cockpit and, with Alonso, Aston Martin have a proven champion to take them into F1’s new era of technical regulations – the Spaniard keeping faith by signing a contract renewal last year.

Alonso has long spoken about wanting to add a third championship to the pair of titles he achieved at Renault back in 2005 and 2006, with the passion and determination still seemingly as strong as ever for a driver racing into his mid-40s.

Alonso will continue alongside Lance Stroll for the foreseeable future

“There were a lot of factors that made ‘26 very appealing with Aston,” said Alonso, pointing to all of the topics covered above. “But it’s not only ‘26 – it’s a lifetime project, in a way, for me. This is the longest contract I’ve ever signed in my career, so this is something that will keep me linked with Aston for many, many years to come. I’m extremely motivated.”

Aston Martin know that if they can give Alonso a car capable of winning races, he is still more than capable of getting the job done – as proven by that stunning run of podium finishes in the early stages of the 2023 season.

And, when it comes to a potential championship challenge, it’s worth noting that Alonso is one of only three title winners on the 20-strong F1 grid, along with seven-time champion and new Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton and reigning four-time champion Verstappen.

“Fernando has shown he believes in us, and we believe in him,” said then team boss Krack after Alonso’s extension. “Fernando is hungry for success, driving better than ever, is fitter than ever, and is completely dedicated to making Aston Martin Aramco a competitive force.”

Top 10: Moments of Fernando Alonso Brilliance

All the pieces in the puzzle?

So, with a shiny new factory, an incoming works engine partner, a host of company-wide signings, a streamlined operating structure and a title-winning driver at their disposal, surely it is only a matter of time before Aston Martin achieve their lofty goals?

While these are all huge assets heading into the 2026 reset, Cowell is not taking success for granted and has likened the situation to assembling a “1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle” – something Ferrari did so well when they created their own ‘dream team’ of talent across the late-1990s and dominated thereafter.

“We’ve got to respect the fact that we’re up against some mighty opposition, who are very well established,” admitted Cowell. “Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, these teams are exceptionally strong and, along with every other team on the grid, they will view these regulation changes as an opportunity.

“We can’t control what they do. We can only control what we do. We’ve got to run our own race, focus on our objectives, our targets, and put all the pieces of the puzzle together as best as possible to seize the opportunity that 2026 presents.”

But with an assertive side note, he makes clear: “Whatever Lawrence does in life, he wants to be successful at it. He wants to win. He’s a serial winner. If you look at what Lawrence has achieved throughout his career, sooner or later success follows.”