Lawrence Stroll, the Executive Chairman of Aston Martin, believes he deserves a knighthood for his instrumental role in rescuing the prestigious sports car manufacturer and bringing prosperity to its Formula 1 team based in Silverstone.
In January 2020, Stroll orchestrated a consortium of investors that saved Aston Martin Lagonda from years of hardship.
This move also resulted in the rebranding of his Racing Point F1 team to Aston Martin F1.
However, steering the luxury carmaker towards profitability has been a challenging task, necessitating multiple injections of fresh capital through debt or equity raises.
During 2022, Aston Martin incurred losses that more than doubled as the company invested heavily in new models and encountered supply chain disruptions affecting the global automotive industry.
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Simultaneously, Stroll and his co-investors significantly invested in their F1 team, upgrading infrastructure and constructing a state-of-the-art factory at the Silverstone campus.
In light of his efforts, the 63-year-old businessman believes he deserves greater recognition.
“I should be knighted for what I’ve done,” Stroll said during Aston Martin’s capital markets day.
“I’ve saved thousands of jobs and built a new Formula 1 factory with hundreds of millions of investment.”
Stroll revealed that a staggering £1.5 billion ($2.16 billion) has been invested in Aston Martin, a testament to his unwavering belief in the company’s future success.
“The investment is staggering,” he emphasised.
“It’s a huge show of my belief in the company.
“One doesn’t put that money into a business they don’t believe in the future of.”
Assessing Aston Martin’s long-term prospects, Stroll drew upon his success in other business ventures, stating: “In my other businesses, I’ve won.”
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He expressed confidence in replicating this success with Aston Martin.
In the realm of Formula 1, Aston Martin has enjoyed a remarkable year on the race track, with notable progress made by the team this season.
Currently sitting in third place in the Constructors’ standings, Aston Martin has secured six podium finishes thus far, thanks to the stellar performances of Fernando Alonso.