Doornbos reveals tensions at Aston Martin: Lawrence Stroll reportedly furious with Adrian Newey – In a season dominated by the Red Bull-McLaren title battle, there is behind-the-scenes drama at Aston Martin, with tensions brewing between team owner Lawrence Stroll and newly-acquired star designer Adrian Newey.
According to former F1 driver and analyst Robert Doornbos, who gave an insider’s insight during a recent appearance on Ziggo Sport’s De Stamtafel, the relationship between the two high-profile figures is already strained – just months after the ink dried on Newey’s lucrative contract.
While the action on the track remains focused on the front-runners, the political chessboard further down the paddock is just as intriguing. Doornbos, speaking recently from Jeddah, says Aston Martin’s current struggles have exacerbated frustrations at the top, particularly for Stroll, who has big ambitions for the team but finds himself in a precarious position amid disappointing results.
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Aston Martin’s fall from grace
There was cautious optimism at Aston Martin at the start of the 2024 season. With Fernando Alonso at the wheel and increased investment in state-of-the-art facilities, many expected the Silverstone-based team to build on the promising form of 2023. But after five races, the team is languishing in seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship – a result well below expectations.
The ten points they’ve scored so far have all come from Lance Stroll’s lucky drive in the rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix and the unexpected disqualifications in China. Aston Martin now finds itself on the verge of being overtaken by the Racing Bulls (VCARB) and Alpine, with both outfits showing more consistent pace in recent rounds. This reality is grating on Stroll Senior.
“The atmosphere in the back half of the paddock is pretty grim,” explained Doornbos.
“There are a few grumpy people walking around – and Lawrence Stroll is one of them. He’s walking around with this massive aura, but it’s not very pleasant at the moment. He’s stomping around the paddock like a man possessed.”
Friction between Stroll and Newey
At the heart of the tension is the role of Adrian Newey, one of F1’s most successful technical minds, who was lured away from Red Bull with a staggering €33m-a-year plus company shares deal to head up Aston Martin’s 2026 project. But while Stroll reportedly expected to make an immediate impact, Newey has opted to sit out the development of the current AMR24 in order to focus solely on the team’s 2026 car under the new regulations.
“The word around the paddock is that Lawrence is furious because Newey wants nothing to do with the 2025 car,” continued Doornbos.
“If you look at their lack of pace, Aston Martin were the clear losers of the weekend. Alonso still hasn’t scored a point this season and Lance – well, he’s just set a record for most Q1 retirements.”
The gulf in priorities is becoming impossible to ignore. While Stroll is under pressure to produce short-term results – possibly to increase the team’s value in the light of a rumoured sale – Newey has no such urgency. His eyes are firmly fixed on the long-term future, particularly the 2026 regulations, which he sees as the real battleground.
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Sale rumours and the Saudi connection
Doornbos also dropped a bombshell that underlines why Stroll may be growing increasingly desperate: the Canadian billionaire is in talks to sell all or part of Aston Martin to a Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund. The potential deal could play a pivotal role in reshaping the team’s direction – and potentially serve as a landing spot for Max Verstappen, should he ever leave Red Bull.
“If you look at where Aston Martin is racing, these green cars are all over the Saudi advertising. The Saudis are interested in buying,” says Doornbos.
“Stroll wants to sell high, but he needs results. He’s looking to Newey for that, but Newey isn’t interested in patching up a car he didn’t design.”
Commentator Olav Mol supported this sentiment with a striking analogy.
“Imagine you’re the best plasterer in the world and someone brings you a crumbling wall two months before you’re supposed to be working on a masterpiece. Would you patch it up and risk your reputation? That’s the way Newey sees it. If he touches this car and it doesn’t improve, his name will be dragged through the mud.
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A calculated gamble for wind tunnel advantage
Adding to the complexity is the strategic advantage that comes with poor performance in F1’s aerodynamic testing regulations. Teams that finish lower in the constructors’ championship get more time in the wind tunnel – a crucial advantage as F1 prepares for a major regulatory overhaul in 2026.
Doornbos believes Newey is fully aware of this, and may even welcome Aston Martin’s current slump.
“The lower you finish, the more wind tunnel time you get,” he explained.
“Aston Martin have just built a brand new wind tunnel and if they finish near the bottom, Newey can take full advantage of that in 2026. It’s actually in his interest to let things unfold now so that he can build something really special later.”
The Alpine parallel and Doohan’s uncertain future
Elsewhere in the paddock Alpine are facing their own internal dilemmas. Despite bringing in Flavio Briatore as a consultant to reinvigorate the team, the results have been disastrous. Pierre Gasly’s rash move on Yuki Tsunoda led to another early exit in China, and rookie rider Jack Doohan has been left limping along at the back of the field with a bike that offers little more than track time.
“Jack is hanging on by a very thin thread,” said Doornbos.
“They’re barely out of Q1 and the team looks lost. Flavio has always been a wildcard – he’ll do whatever it takes to turn things around, but even he must be wondering where to start.”
As Alpine tries to find its feet, the story of Aston Martin is one of internal conflict rather than unity. For Stroll, the situation is reaching a boiling point. He has the facilities, the funding and now one of the greatest designers in F1 history. But none of this matters without results, and Newey, for all his brilliance, is playing the long game.
2026: the real target
For Adrian Newey, 2026 is the only prize that matters. He was hired to revolutionise Aston Martin’s fortunes under the next generation of F1 regulations, not to salvage a struggling 2024 campaign or hastily influence the 2025 car he had no hand in designing. It’s a cold, calculated approach – but one that has paid off for the design mastermind in the past.
For Lawrence Stroll, however, the clock is ticking. Whether driven by financial motives or personal pride, he wants to see a return on his investment now. With team morale plummeting, Alonso disillusioned and Stroll Junior underperforming, tensions at Aston Martin could soon boil over into something even more disruptive.
And if the Saudis do complete a takeover, Newey’s loyalty – or at least his involvement – could become even more complicated. As the 2025 season approaches, one thing is clear: Aston Martin is a team on the edge, caught between a visionary long-term plan and the ruthless demands of the present.
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