Fernando Alonso podium first step to proving doubters wrong - Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll

Aston Martin

Alonso podium first step to proving doubters wrong - Aston Martin owner Stroll

The team is nearing halfway into its ambitious five-year plan

Ewan Gale

Tuesday 7 March 2023 08:50

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll believes Fernando Alonso's Bahrain Grand Prix podium is the first step in proving the team's doubters wrong in F1.

The Canadian businessman saved Force India when the team was in administration and after running under the guise of Racing Point, introduced luxury British manufacturer Aston Martin to the grid in 2021.

Stroll has overseen an overhaul of the Silverstone-based outfit, with a rapid upscaling of the workforce intended to be complete in time for the team to move into its new state-of-the-art factory.

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When Aston Martin joined the grid, Stroll targeted challenging for world championships at the end of a five-year period, with Alonso's third place at the season opener suggesting the marque is moving in the right direction.

"Someone said how lucky we looked in testing," Stroll told Sky Sports F1.

"I said in many instances in my life, the harder I work, the luckier I get. I said a couple of years back we are on a five-year journey to be fighting for world championships.

"I think there were doubters when I said that and I can understand that in the position we were sitting taking over from what was Force India, a bit of a conversion into Racing point and then becoming Aston Martin.

On the team's radical changes in the background, Stroll added: "We've made significant changes, we have gone from 400 to 750 people, we are building the greatest new state-of-the-art Formula 1 facility which we don't move into until May 1 so the success of this can't be contributed to the facility.

"But I believe it is a lot to do with the passion, the vision to excite and stimulate everybody in the business.

"We have got Martin [Whitmarsh], we have got Dan [Fallows], a lot of people to join and we have got a vision.

"There is a mission and we are following what I said two years ago. This is the first indication, the first step we have taken in a journey and I couldn't be more proud. Thank you to the whole team for delivering this incredible car."

Success 'not about' proving doubters wrong

"There have been a lot of doubters along the way which I can appreciate and hopefully, I am convinced we can prove them all wrong," added Stroll.

"But it is not about that, it is about getting the 800 great people working for us, the great team that we have put together and we all have one vision and to channel all of our passions and that is to create a great team."