Following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Aston Martin F1 Team has been left without a single point for a 4th consecutive race. The 2022 season started rocky for the Silverstone-based team, with Sebastian Vettel testing positive for COVID-19 and being out of action for the first two races. 

The team garnered little success, with reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg finishing 12th and Lance Stroll following in 13th. At the end of the first two races, Aston Martin was tied for tenth with Williams in the Constructors’ championship on zero points. 

Entering the Australian Grand Prix, trepidation was evident. With terrible free practice & qualifying sessions and both cars crashing out –it seemed as though AMF1 just couldn’t catch a break. Sebastian Vettel finally started his 2022 season qualifying in P17, and Lance Stroll would start in P19 – after receiving a grid penalty for his crash with Latifi in Q1. 

Sebastian Vettel (Photo via @AstonMartinF1 on Twitter)

After crashing out within the first few laps, Sebastian’s race was short-lived. Aston Martin’s weekend worsened when Stroll finished outside of the points and acquired a 5-second penalty for weaving on the straight while defending. Stroll had a further incident forcing Valtteri Bottas off the track earlier in the race. After receiving an 8th penalty point, this puts Stroll just 4 points away from a race ban. 

Lance Stroll’s father, Lawrence Stroll, has owned the team since 2018, when he bought Force India for £90 million. Stroll has been clear in his motives for the team, driving them to be highly competitive. According to talkSPORT, Lawrence Stroll aimed to “gate-crash F1 and challenge the established elite”.

In an interview with talkSPORT1, former Aston Martin boss Colin Kolles stated that Stroll’s approach was “completely wrong.” Furthermore, he added that the Silverstone team is going “nowhere fast” with this attitude. 

Otmar Szaufnauer, who recently left Aston Martin as team principal, hinted to F1TV during the Bahrain testing that working with Stroll was the catalyst for his move to Alpine.

Lance Stroll (Photo via @AstonMartinF1 on Twitter)

When the Silverstone-based team rebranded to Aston Martin, Stroll Snr. announced a 3 to 5-year plan for the team, with their goal being winning a world championship title by 2025. In year 2 of the 5-year plan, there is little room for optimism. 

According to Autocar, Aston Martin is very reserved in terms of their expectations for the 2022 season. The team was expecting to secure the occasional podium but is unsure to say where they will be by the end of the season.

It is still early in the season, and Aston Martin is barely halfway through its 5-year strategy, but it is clear that the team has an uphill struggle. Aston Martin F1 Team is currently 10th in the constructors’ championship, now behind Williams, as the only team without points. AMF1 has 20 more races to find its footing and get back on track with their plan.