Aston Martin May Sell Stake in Formula 1 Racing Team and Go Private in Turnaround Efforts
Aston only owns 4.6 percent of the racing team, but the sale would raise $146 million for the company, which desperately needs cash. The automaker cited tariffs and a slowdown in China for its struggles, saying it would only break even this year, which caused a drop in its share prices. The company's stock market valuation has dropped from almost $6 billion in late 2018 to just over $1 billion today. That said, the F1 team sale valued the company at $3.2 billion.
Related: 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante First Drive Review: Not For the Faint of Heart
While Aston Martin won't have a stake in the F1 team after the sale, it will continue a relationship with the sport through naming and branding agreements, so we won't see a change on the grid. The automaker's car lineup is one of the most compelling in its history, so there are reasons for Aston to be encouraged. Its first SUV, the DBX has grown to account for almost half of its sales, and other new models have received stellar reviews from customers and critics.
Lawrence Stroll acquired the Force India F1 team in 2018 and transformed it into the Aston team we know today. Stroll and his partners have continue investing in the business, but many credit Netflix's Drive to Survive with bringing the sport's value to an all-time high.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Lando Norris Left Disappointed After Q3 Setback in Hungary
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. McLaren driver Lando Norris ended up qualifying in third for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Norris comes into Hungary trailing his teammate, Oscar Piastri, by 16 points in the Drivers' Championship. During Q2, the British driver set the fastest time of the entire qualifying session, but when it came down to delivering the time in Q3, Norris failed to perform. Not only did he struggle to get the top spot, but he starts behind Piastri as well, putting him on the backfoot for Sunday. Third placed qualifier Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren in the Drivers Press Conference during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 02, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Third placed qualifier Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren in the Drivers Press Conference during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 02, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Photo byFerrari's Charles Leclerc nabbed the top spot, but Norris wasn't demoralized after missing out on pole. "From how our form is, then of course [it's disappointing], but I think Charles did a good job on the last lap," Norris said. "He probably risked a little bit more in these conditions. The wind changed a lot and it really seemed to punish us in a bigger way it seems. "Not too many complaints. We thought we both did some good laps at the end, and we were just slow. So, nothing to complain of, but Charles did a good job. "It's a long lap with many corners. It's tricky, but in Q2, we showed how quick we can go, and our advantage. But as soon as the wind changed, everything went away and the last sector became even trickier again." Norris's season has been a rollercoaster ride, full of ups and downs, but he is still in the hunt for the ever-elusive championship. After the session, he was asked about his goals for the race, whether it was to get ahead of his championship rival or fight for the win, but Norris appears focused on getting the best possible result. "Both. I want to go forwards, I want to win. And if I can do that, then I'll get points. "I think it's going to be an exciting race. I would expect us to have a bit more pace than Charles, so I'm looking forward to it." Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Results
Yahoo
5 hours ago
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I'm just useless, says Hamilton after team-mate's pole
Hungarian Grand Prix Venue: Hungaroring Dates: 1-3 August Race start: 14:00 BST on Sunday Coverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app Lewis Hamilton said he was "just useless" after qualifying 12th for the Hungarian Grand Prix while his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc took pole position. Hamilton failed to progress beyond the second qualifying session after struggling for pace compared to Leclerc all weekend. Leclerc took Ferrari's first grand prix pole position of the year, although Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race from pole at the second event of the season. A downcast Hamilton said: "I drove terribly. It is what it is." He added: "I'm just useless," and said his lack of pace was "nothing to do with the car". In Hungary, Hamilton was 0.247secs slower than Leclerc in the second part of qualifying, in which he was knocked out and the Monegasque was sixth fastest. Hamilton is 12-5 down to Leclerc on their qualifying head-to-head this year, at an average pace difference of 0.146 seconds. His form on Saturdays in 2025 continues the struggles in qualifying Hamilton had against George Russell in his final year at Mercedes last season. Even so, his result in Hungary bucks a trend in which he has generally been much closer to Leclerc since the seventh race of the season. Belgium last weekend, in which he was knocked out in the first session in qualifying for both the sprint and the grand prix after making mistakes, had been an exception to that run. Although clearly frustrated by his own performance, Hamilton congratulated Leclerc on his pole. "It's amazing for the team that the car is capable of being on pole," the seven-time champion said, "so big congrats to Charles." Leclerc came into the weekend talking about how he had never gelled with the Hungaroring during his career, but he ends Saturday with arguably the most surprising and unexpected pole position of the year. Leclerc had been third fastest behind the McLarens in all three practice sessions, but the world champions appeared out of reach. However, a change in wind direction between the second and final parts of qualifying threw McLaren off their game and opened the door for Leclerc, who beat championship leader Oscar Piastri to pole with Lando Norris third. Leclerc said he "didn't understand" because the car felt bad throughout qualifying. But he and the McLaren drivers put the shift in competitiveness down to a change in weather conditions, when not only did the wind change direction by 180 degrees, but the strength of the wind, the temperature and humidity level all changed. "In Q3, the conditions changed for everybody," Leclerc said. "I basically just did a clean lap, which was a really good lap because those conditions were really difficult to get everything right, and I was really happy about the lap. "It is probably the most surprising pole position I have ever done, so I'm very happy." Leclerc said that revisions to the car at the last race in Belgium had helped his confidence when pushing to the limit over one qualifying lap. Ferrari introduced a new rear suspension which in addition to being aimed at allowing them to run the car lower without risking damaging the floor to the extent that car failed its post-race legality tests was also intended to improve driveability when combined with a new floor introduced three races ago in Austria. Leclerc said: "The upgrade in Spa definitely helped me to extract a little bit more. "Before Spa, I had to set up the car in a very, very extreme way early on in the season to try and extract something out of this car in qualifying. "It was making the car very, very unpredictable and very difficult whenever you go for the 0.1-0.15secs in Q3. It was extremely difficult to get it right. And if you just overstepped a little bit the limits of that previous car, then you will pay the price a lot. "Whereas with this car, you can play a little bit more with the limits, and if you go over the limits a little bit, you just don't lose as much. So the car is more predictable, which is a good thing." Spectacular Leclerc takes surprise Hungarian Grand Prix pole Verstappen says he will race with Red Bull in 2026 Andrew Benson Q&A: Send us your questions Can Leclerc beat the McLarens to win? Beating the McLarens to pole position is one thing, winning the race is another, as McLaren's race pace has been the team's strongest suit this year. Leclerc said: "There is some rain around and if it's wet it's easier to overtake but it is always better to be starting first, especially on this track." Piastri, who heads into the race 16 points ahead of Norris in the championship, described the result of qualifying as "bizarre and somewhat frustrating". But he said he was "pretty confident" he could win from second on the grid, as he did last year, when Norris was on pole. "Our pace has been good," Piastri said. "But Charles has been quick all weekend in certain sessions. So it is a very difficult track to overtake on. And yeah, it's not going to be the easiest place to try and regain the lead." Norris said: "There could be some rain, which normally makes things more interesting. But we always have, at least in the race, a bit more of an advantage. "But our main competitor over the last four or five races has been Charles, and it's been the Ferrari. So if there was anyone else going to be on pole today, it was going to be Charles. And if there's anyone that's going to make our life tough tomorrow, it's going to be the same guy. "So, yeah, we'll see. It's a long race. Things can happen and hopefully the rain can be on our side, maybe."
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Leclerc ends Ferrari barren run with stunning pole ahead of McLarens
Charles Leclerc ended Ferrari's barren qualifying run this year with a stunning late lap on Saturday to beat both McLarens and claim his first pole of the season for the Italian team at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The 27-year-old Monegasque went late in the final minutes of a closely-contested session to clock a best lap in one minute and 15.372 seconds in changing conditions, leaving his rivals frustrated as they failed to improve on their first run times. "I definitely didn't expect that and honestly I just don't have any words for this. It's one of my best poles and the most unexpected," said Leclerc. He took pole by 0.026 seconds ahead of series leader Oscar Piastri and by 0.041sec ahead of the Australian's McLaren team-mate and title rival Lando Norris, with George Russell 0.053sec adrift in a breathtakingly close finish. It was Leclerc's first pole of the year, his first in Budapest and the 27th of his career. It was Ferrari's first pole in Hungary since Sebastian Vettel in 2017. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fifth ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll, the pair enjoying their best qualifying of the season, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto seventh ahead of Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen and the two Racing Bulls rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. "Wow, whooaw!, Mama Mia!" exclaimed Leclerc, who had on Thursday described the Hungaroring as his worst track of the season. "Today, I don't understand anything about F1. The whole of qualifying has been so extremely difficult – and I am not exaggerating," he said. Piastri blamed a change of wind direction. "It basically did a 180 degrees from Q1 to Q3. It always seems pathetic, blaming the wind." The Q1 segment began with clouds looming in a sunny sky and hot conditions with temperatures of 31 degrees (air) and 52 (track), falling as it became more overcast. The Williams duo were first out on softs, Alex Albon clocking 1:17.441 to set the pace. - Hamilton frustrated - Carlos Sainz locked up and returned to the pits as McLaren and Red Bull joined the action, Piastri dipping his left wheels into the gravel at Turn 12 as he went top, three-tenths clear of Norris and Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari. Verstappen was only 13th after the opening runs with Yuki Tsunoda 17th, clear confirmation of Red Bull's struggle for balance and pace while Aston Martin went late, as the track temperature fell 10 degrees, and Alonso went top in 1:15.281. The cooler track brought sharp improvements in a late reshuffle that saw Piastri top in 1:15.211 ahead of Alonso and Racing Bulls' rookie Isack Hadjar. Hamilton was 10th and Verstappen 11th. Tsunoda led the five eliminated ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon of Haas, Sauber's Nico Hulkeberg and Alex Albon of Williams. Rain began to fall at Turn Six, sending anxiety up the pit lane as they queued to start Q2. Alonso set the pace before Norris clocked 1:14.890 to go top, with Piastri second, the pair separated by 0.05. The first run left Leclerc 10th and Hamilton 11th, with work to do. Verstappen was eighth as the rain stopped ahead of the final runs and he stayed there, six-tents adrift, while Leclerc secured his passage to Q3 in sixth. Hamilton exited in 12th, his worst-ever qualifying position at the Hungaroring where he has claimed a record nine poles, along with Oliver Bearman of Haas, Sainz, Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Mercedes' rookie Kimi Antonelli. It was cooler still as Q3 began as the McLarens dominated with Piastri ahead of Norris by 0.096 and Russell third while Stroll had his lap deleted for exceeding track limits. Stroll and Alonso went early for their final runs, slotting in fourth and second, the Spaniard just 0.083 behind Piastri's first run before Leclerc snatched pole in the final seconds with his beautifully-judged late lap. str/ea
