2026 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team

[Honda Porsche fan]

I agree, throwing money at something does not guarantee success. Toyota threw a lot of money to Ralph Schumacher and he took it.

My point is, you offer any of these drivers big $$$ they'll take it 99% of the time just like any other athlete.


Aston Martin has billions invested from private investors...

Aston Martin F1 Team has attracted multiple investors through strategic minority stake sales, with key investors including:

Arctos Partners: A leading sports-focused private equity firm that invested in the team in late 2023, valuing the F1 team at approximately $1.2 billion. This was the first major external investment under Lawrence Stroll’s ownership.

HPS Investment Partners: A US-based firm managing around $115 billion in assets, which invested in the team in 2024, contributing to a valuation of £1.5 billion to £2 billion.

Accel: A prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, known for early investments in Facebook, that joined as an investor in 2024.

Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia: Acquired a minority stake of about 8% in the F1 team, reinforcing Gulf investment in elite sports assets.

Lawrence Stroll: The team’s owner and executive chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda, who maintains a significant stake in both the car company and the F1 team through his Yew Tree Consortium.

These investments reflect a broader trend of private equity and sovereign wealth funds entering Formula 1, driven by the financial stability provided by the cost cap and the sport’s growing commercial appeal.

AMR has got a very complex company structure, involving many inter companies transaction to boost it valuation
The operation side is profitable in 2024, but they are burden by very heavy and expensive debt.

This is taken from 2024 financial report. Why pay 10% for borrowing?

During the year the Group went through a refinancing exercise, resulting in the repayment of the
previous loan which has been replaced with a 10 year agreement to borrow $400m at a fixed rate of
10% interest. The facility has a fixed and floating charge over all current and future assets of AMR GP
Limited (and associated group companies) including a share charge in favour of the lender by all of the
group companies.

"Why Most F1 Teams Lose Money Every Year Despite $23B Valuations"...

https://arthnova.com/f1-teams-lose-mone ... aluations/

"Formula 1 teams are now worth a combined $23 billion, with every single team valued above $1 billion for the first time in history. Ferrari tops the list at $4.78 billion, followed by Mercedes at $3.94 billion and Red Bull at $3.5 billion.

But here’s the paradox: despite record valuations and revenue hitting $3.8 billion collectively in 2024, most F1 teams lose money year after year.

Williams Racing has posted losses for five consecutive years, totaling £211 million ($285.4 million) since 2020. Alpine, Aston Martin, and Racing Bulls all operate in the red. Even Red Bull Racing, winners of the 2022 and 2023 Constructors’ Championships, posted just £1.68 million profit in 2024 on £314.4 million turnover, a margin of 0.5%.

Only one team consistently prints money: Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix, which has turned profit every year for over a decade. Here’s why F1 team valuations hit $23 billion while most teams bleed cash, and why losing money is often the strategy."

[ElliotDelgado]

I just got more Tea, but I can't say for certainty as plans can change. So Apparently for FP1 Jack Crawford will run the new engine while Lance stroll will run the old one for comparison. The target is for Jak to be able to beat Lance time simply due to having more power and better battery deployment and have it correlate with the simulator and confirm the vibrations have been lowered(unfortunately not eliminated i guess) compared to the old engine. Before turning the power up to what possible for fp2 and then analyze if no reliability or vibration issues crop up. We might have very unrepresentative times for FP2 so don't get excited.

All right that makes sense to me if Crawford can match or improve the time in relation to stroll then an improvement has been made, i don't think the vibrations will be elimitated either i think they are trying to minimize as much as possible and then let the chasis dissipate as much of it as it can.
And yeah the gradual increase of power has to be a must in this situation, they can't go a 100% on it, this is looking to be an interesting weekend.

On a side note... thanks for a comment that steers us to talking about the team.

[V10FURY]

I just got more Tea, but I can't say for certainty as plans can change. So Apparently for FP1 Jack Crawford will run the new engine while Lance stroll will run the old one for comparison. The target is for Jak to be able to beat Lance time simply due to having more power and better battery deployment and have it correlate with the simulator and confirm the vibrations have been lowered(unfortunately not eliminated i guess) compared to the old engine. Before turning the power up to what possible for fp2 and then analyze if no reliability or vibration issues crop up. We might have very unrepresentative times for FP2 so don't get excited.

Appreciate the cleaning lady insight from
the team and let’s hope some signs of improvement are on the table this weekend. If Crawford is indeed running a new improved engine fingers crossed it makes some kind of difference to the reliability/ vibration and performance. If so then Miami might be the start of a turn around for the team. Stroll needs it more than most posters here think as they are leveraged way beyond the current valuation of this team. BYD is sniffing around Alpine and Aston Martin at the moment and I would not be surprised if a change of ownership might happen soon. F1 is courting China and another manufacturer for sure so they would be on board with this !

Anyone posting on this forum that Alonso isn’t still a top 5 driver doesn’t have an opinion worth a fart in the wind. Who cares about Max going to Aston? The more likely scenario is Max retires from this terrible Formula in disgust rather than drive for Aston. He seemed much happier driving the Mercedes over the weekend at the Nurburgring than he was in China driving his Red Bull F1 car. Let’s fix this turd bucket of a car first, score some points and then look at the driver paired with Stroll jr next season. It is the most irrelevant thing this team needs to focus on at the moment.

[ispano6]

Problem with Alonso isn't that he's not a top driver. It's his attitude and feedback style. He's not hungry like a young driver, and not willing to develop a car like a driver a few years into F1. I say put Tsunoda in the AMR. He'd probably finish races that Alonso isn't willing to sit through and give constructive feedback to Honda.

[BassVirolla]

What did Alonso do when Aston Martin was using a Mercedes engine and Mercedes gearbox and Mercedes rear suspension for multiple seasons ?

Driving a subpar car in a mediocre team. You're welcome.

Alonso couldn't capitalize with McLaren twice or Ferrari or Aston Martin with a Mercedes drivetrain and rear suspension. You're welcome.

2013 was his last race win.

I was thinking that you were not inclined to talk about ALO, but about AMR.

A shame that I was so wrong.

[CHT]

Problem with Alonso isn't that he's not a top driver. It's his attitude and feedback style. He's not hungry like a young driver, and not willing to develop a car like a driver a few years into F1. I say put Tsunoda in the AMR. He'd probably finish races that Alonso isn't willing to sit through and give constructive feedback to Honda.

On paper, AMR has got all the ingredient to be a world championship team, new factory, new wind tunnel, engineers, driver etc. with so many personnel with experience winning multiple championship in F1. But somehow they just have't get their act together yet. Not sure if this is a case of having too many cooks in the kitchen

[Honda Porsche fan]

Why Most F1 Teams Lose Money Every Year Despite $23B Valuations...

https://arthnova.com/f1-teams-lose-mone ... aluations/

The link above is interesting, showing each team's budget, how much they make and lose and how they do it.

Aston Martin will have to spend and operate more like McLaren and Alpine. They can not operate like Mercedes or Ferrari since those teams are automaker owned and generate revenue differently through global auto sales.

The only way for Aston Martin to leap frog those teams is they will have to generate more revenue through investors, sponsors, Constructors title and Honda's engine. If Honda makes improvements and gets the power up they will have an advantage over McLaren and Alpine since those teams are customer teams where as Aston Martin is the official Honda backed team.

Aston Martin tried the whole Mercedes customer agenda, it did not work. It's not working out for McLaren so far this season.

It makes sense what Lawrence Stroll is doing financially in today's F1. Lawrence and how he is running the team at Silverstone is not the problem, it's Honda's slump that's the problem. Adrian Newey was right. Silverstone is waiting for Honda.

I'm personally not expecting anything big for the Japanese GP. I'm waiting for June 7 Monaco, when the compression ratio ban will be in place for all teams and Honda's B-spec engine will be racing.

[Honda Porsche fan]

Problem with Alonso isn't that he's not a top driver. It's his attitude and feedback style. He's not hungry like a young driver, and not willing to develop a car like a driver a few years into F1. I say put Tsunoda in the AMR. He'd probably finish races that Alonso isn't willing to sit through and give constructive feedback to Honda.

On paper, AMR has got all the ingredient to be a world championship team, new factory, new wind tunnel, engineers, driver etc. with so many personnel with experience winning multiple championship in F1. But somehow they just have't get their act together yet. Not sure if this is a case of having too many cooks in the kitchen

Adrian Newey was right, it's Honda. Adrian made it public, now it's up to Honda to make the improvements.

I respect Adrian's honesty and being candid but, that is not good P.R., he's best behind the scenes designing the car. Jonathan Wheatley will be better out front publicly, trackside manager, pitstops etc.

[CHT]

Problem with Alonso isn't that he's not a top driver. It's his attitude and feedback style. He's not hungry like a young driver, and not willing to develop a car like a driver a few years into F1. I say put Tsunoda in the AMR. He'd probably finish races that Alonso isn't willing to sit through and give constructive feedback to Honda.

On paper, AMR has got all the ingredient to be a world championship team, new factory, new wind tunnel, engineers, driver etc. with so many personnel with experience winning multiple championship in F1. But somehow they just have't get their act together yet. Not sure if this is a case of having too many cooks in the kitchen

Adrian Newey was right, it's Honda. Adrian made it public, now it's up to Honda to make the improvements.

I respect Adrian's honesty and being candid but, that is not good P.R., he's best behind the scenes designing the car. Jonathan Wheatley will be better out front publicly, trackside manager, pitstops etc.

On paper Honda is also a multiple championship winning factory

[Honda Porsche fan]

Mercedes' F1 engine program does not operate like Honda's. Mercedes keeps their operation consistent, Honda does not.

"Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, where they make the F1 engines employs over 1,000 people, according to the company’s official website. The company has experienced steady growth, with employee numbers increasing from around 700 in 2018 to over 1,000 by 2024."



This is old news now...

[diffuser]

Problem with Alonso isn't that he's not a top driver. It's his attitude and feedback style. He's not hungry like a young driver, and not willing to develop a car like a driver a few years into F1. I say put Tsunoda in the AMR. He'd probably finish races that Alonso isn't willing to sit through and give constructive feedback to Honda.

Makes sense. GP2 driver with GP2 PU.

[Redragon]

With tank full and the car on heavy mod to avoid vibrations. Alonso had decent starts of the race,so the engine even demoted has some power on it. So i would say is not all lost

[CHT]

Why Most F1 Teams Lose Money Every Year Despite $23B Valuations...

https://arthnova.com/f1-teams-lose-mone ... aluations/

The link above is interesting, showing each team's budget, how much they make and lose and how they do it.

Aston Martin will have to spend and operate more like McLaren and Alpine. They can not operate like Mercedes or Ferrari since those teams are automaker owned and generate revenue differently through global auto sales.

The only way for Aston Martin to leap frog those teams is they will have to generate more revenue through investors, sponsors and Honda's engine. If Honda makes improvements and gets the power up they will have an advantage over McLaren and Alpine since those teams are customer teams where as Aston Martin is the official Honda backed team.

Aston Martin tried the whole Mercedes customer agenda, it did not work. It's not working out for McLaren so far this season.

It makes sense what Lawrence Stroll is doing financially in today's F1. Lawrence and how he is running the team at Silverstone is not the problem, it's Honda's slump that's the problem. Adrian Newey was right. Silverstone is waiting for Honda.

I'm personally not expecting anything big for the Japanese GP. I'm waiting for June 7 Monaco, when the compression ratio ban will be in place for all teams and Honda's B-spec engine will be racing.

Profitable Teams ("Money Printers")
These teams benefit from massive sponsorship deals, manufacturer backing, and high placement in the Constructors' Championship.


Mercedes-AMG Petronas: The most profitable team on the grid. In 2024, they reported a record £120 million (approx. $162 million) net profit.

Ferrari: Consistently profitable due to its "historical bonus" and high commercial revenue. They reported an operating profit of approximately $152 million in 2024.

McLaren Racing: A major financial success story, swinging from deep losses a few years ago to a £54.2 million ($73 million) profit in 2024 following their rise to the top of the standings.

Red Bull Racing: While they dominate the track, they report much slimmer margins—roughly $2.27 million in 2024 profit—largely because the racing team is a marketing arm for the larger Red Bull GmbH.

Kick Sauber (Audi) & Haas: Both reported modest operating profits in 2024 (approx. $14 million and $9.6 million respectively) as the budget cap prevents them from overspending their revenue.

Loss-Making Teams ("Money Burners")
These teams are currently in "rebuild" phases, investing heavily in new facilities and staff to move up the grid.

Aston Martin Aramco: Despite its high valuation, the team reported a loss of £45.8 million ($61 million) in 2024. This marks five consecutive years of losses as owner Lawrence Stroll pours capital into a new factory and wind tunnel.

Williams Racing: Reported a loss of £49.9 million ($67 million) in 2024. The owners, Dorilton Capital, are intentionally "burning" cash to modernize the team's aging infrastructure.

Alpine (Renault): After years of stability, Alpine reported a £14.6 million ($19.7 million) loss in 2024, attributed to rising administrative costs and a dip in on-track performance.

[Honda Porsche fan]

In order for Aston Martin to start making a profit they are now relying on Honda. They have the team, wind tunnel etc all set in the UK, now it's time for Honda to bring the updates to move up the standings since independent teams that are not owned by automakers are heavily dependent on revenue in the Constructors Championship.

As long as Aston Martin is independently owned they will not generate the same revenue as Mercedes or Ferrari in the same way. They are held hostage by Honda's performance.

What will McLaren's profit or loss margin be after the 2026 season if they falter and are 3rd or 4th or 5th in the constructors title ? McLaren is in a similar position now that they are struggling as a customer team and are dependent on Mercedes. They might not be getting the same engines as the factory Petronas team or, at least not receiving the same data from the factory team.

[diffuser]

Another reason for not going after a top driver like Max right now is that the new regulations, as they are, just don’t allow a driver to make the difference. The cars are so much slower in the corners that precision there is easier. They’ve also removed late braking because it reduces the power of the PU. Therefore spending more money on a top notch driver versus a near top notch will not translate into more points.