22/11/2023
NEWS STORY
Aston Martin owner, Lawrence Stroll remains strongly opposed to Andretti's bid to enter F1 despite the fact that it may cost the sport a new engine manufacturer.
His comment comes days after he agreed to sell an undisclosed stake in the team to Arctos Partners which is understood to have seen the Silverstone-based outfit valued at £1bn.
In October, Stroll said the sport should stick with ten teams, insisting that "if it isn't broken, you don't need to fix it".
"I'm a strong believer that it's working really well with ten teams right now, and believe that's the way it should stay," he added.
Last week General Motors announced that it had formally registered with the FIA as a Formula 1 power unit manufacturer starting in 2028. However, GM President, Mark Reuss made clear that his company would only enter the sport in partnership with Andretti.
"Our commitment to excellence will not be taken lightly as we continue planning to enter F1 as soon as possible and, in 2028, Andretti Cadillac will compete as a true American works team," he said.
"This historic partnership will accelerate the sport in the fast-growing U.S. market as well as globally," he added.
Nonetheless, Stroll remains convinced that F1 should stick with ten teams and that if Andretti wants to enter F1 it should buy an existing outfit.
"Look what Audi have done," he told ESPN, "Audi wanted to come in the sport and they bought a team. The right way to come in if you want to enter the NFL today, NHL hockey or any great sports franchise is that you've got to buy a team. Then it's just a question of money, so I do believe if they want to enter they should buy a team like others have done."
Of course, there would no doubt be a number of outfits willing to sell-up, Haas, Williams and AlphaTauri being the most obvious.
However, when one remembers how on his arrival at Williams James Vowles revealed that there had been no investment in the infrastructure for 20 years, one can understand why the likes of Andretti would want to start anew as opposed to buying the mess the previous owner had left behind.
For 2026, Aston Martin will partner with Honda which by then will have severed all connections with Red Bull.
However, Stroll is adamant that his objection to Andretti entering F1 with GM-owned Cadillac is not based on fear of the threat the newcomers might pose.
"I'm not worried from a competitive point of view," he said. "To start with, a blank piece of paper is a very challenging thing to do in this sport even with years of history.
"But listen, I wish them the best of luck and, as I mentioned, it's really not my decision, it's up to the FIA and FOM. We'll see what they decide."