• Qualifying Alonso benefits from Verstappen's drama and will start second in Jeddah
  • Interview Pedro de la Rosa: "The dream is that Fernando retires being world champion again"
  • Report The secrets of Alonso's Aston Martin, the "surprise" car of the World Championship: praise and accusations of plagiarism

Brown shoes, light pants and navy blue striped blazer. Businessman Lawrence Stroll enters the paddock of the Jeddah circuit and, under his aviator glasses, there is no doubt. He is determined. Before the sorting session, in the middle of the evening, a DJ thunders with his music, the guests chat on the terraces, fruit juices are served -forbidden alcohol-, but Stroll does not move an eyebrow when walking. He will sit at the top of the motorhome of the team that belongs to him and from there he will observe howFernando Alonso is placed second on the grid and his son Lance in fourth. One more day, another, among the best. This Sunday after the race (18.00 hours, DAZN) you may enjoy the second celebration of the year. In just three years he has turned one of the worst teams in the Formula 1 World Championship into one of the best. How did he do it? With money, a lot of money, yes, but also with that own conviction.

BEN STANSALLAFP

Legend has it that a few years ago Stroll wanted to travel with his private jet to his home in Gstaad, Switzerland, and that, when he was warned that the runway was too small, he did not hesitate: he paid for the expansion of the airport and that's it. Perhaps true, perhaps false, in any case credible. Because the current owner of Aston Martin amassed his fortune, 3.600 billion, the 769th largest in the world, with bets of that type.

If his father Leo Strulovitch – Stroll is a diminutive – multiplied the family wealth by investing in struggling clothing brands such as Pierre Cardin and Ralph Lauren, he did the same with Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors until in 2018 he had the option to immerse himself in his passion, motor racing. A Formula 1 team, Force India, was bankrupt and, along with other investors, took it for 117 million dollars. Two years later, with 215 million as a price, he bought Aston Martin, a mythical British brand in distress, and quickly joined both acquisitions. In 2021 the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team was born. He started his plan. "When I said that in five seasons we would fight for the World Cup a lot of people didn't believe me. And I can understand it because Force India came from very low, "said Stroll recently, who since his arrival multiplied the budget of the team.

While he did not stop hiring staff until practically doubling the number of employees – from 400 in 2020 to the current 700 – he sought to form a technical direction that would change everything and did so without fear of heights. He took away BMW's head of engineering, Mike Krack; Mercedes' head of aerodynamics, Eric Blandin; Red Bull's head of aerodynamics, Dan Fallows, and from there, down: Andrew Alessi, also from Red Bull, Luca Furbatto, from Alfa... The list is long. Under his guidelines, the team completely changed the drawing of the car, as was seen last year in Montmeló and this season came the surprise.

The arrival of Alonso, the new factory

The engineers remember that in winter, when they saw the very good data of the car in the wind tunnel, they believed that they were wrong, that the sensors failed, that there was an error. Bahrain's podium proved those records to be true. "One of the keys is the atmosphere in the team. There's a lot of excitement in the factory, everyone is very close," says boss Mike Krack, and he's right. Those present at Silverstone remember that before they already had a lot of talent – in 2020 Racing Point even won a race – but that the signings of recent months have triggered the desire. In fact, Alonso's arrival was the icing on the cake.

STREFE

After the announcement last July of Vettel's retirement there were some doubts, but Stroll's quick reaction to Alonso revived joy in the team. The Spaniard had always maintained a relationship with Stroll since he was a Ferrari driver and the businessman's son, Lance Stroll, now his teammate, was part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. They were acquaintances, greeted, until a call precipitated everything. "Is your future with Alpine closed?" the billionaire asked. "No," Alonso replied. And from there to the signing of the contract barely a few hours passed.

"Now we just need to have the new factory. That will really allow us to take another step forward. Right now there are people involved in the design of the car who have to work outside the factory, on some exterior modules," says Fallows about the next step. Because to fight with Red Bull for the title, Aston Martin needs to have a commensurate facilities and is a few months away from it. After investing 232 million, on May 1 it should inaugurate its new headquarters in Silverstone, with the latest technology and a lot of space, precisely what it now lacks. Then comes his own wind tunnel, which will allow him to stop renting the Mercedes tunnel in Brackley, and from there, according to Stroll's conviction, win the World Championship.

According to The Trust Project criteria

Learn more

  • Fernando Alonso
  • Force India
  • Articles Javier Sánchez