Lawrence Stroll blamed for creating 'huge problem' at Aston Martin

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has cast doubt over the structure and leadership of Aston Martin under owner Lawrence Stroll, warning that mounting pressure could expose deeper cracks within the Silverstone-based squad.

Speaking on Sky Sports Germany's F1 podcast, Backstage Boxengasse, he questioned whether the current leadership model is sustainable as the team looks set to endure a dismal start to the 2026 campaign after a woeful pre-season.

After an ambitious winter that promised a step forward under design guru Adrian Newey, Aston Martin’s testing programme was overshadowed by a lack of outright pace and reliability concerns.

The team struggled for consistency across testing, completing considerably fewer laps than the rest of the field and failing to show the kind of performance that would suggest it can challenge at the sharp end under F1's new regulations.

As such, the former Jordan, Williams and Toyota driver believes the issues run deeper than the stopwatch.

"I have to say: we are not always the biggest supporters of the whole project," Schumacher began. "And sometimes I also have to say: Lawrence Stroll has his own way of doing things.

"He doesn't really talk to anyone. You see him, but he hardly gives interviews. But he hasn't earned this by a long shot.

"Even Newey said beforehand: we have a problem in the wind tunnel. We are three to four months behind, the car is no good, and the engine is bad.

"It could hardly be worse. I wonder if they will be able to finish the races at all at the beginning of the season, when you see what needs to be fixed in such a short time.

"It obviously creates a huge problem within the team. I think Lawrence is under enormous pressure because he more or less acts as an autocrat.

"I am curious to see if he can withstand the pressure from the investors, because seemingly he is making the decisions on his own."

Aston 'must try not to destroy each other'

The 50-year-old suggested that Aston Martin’s trajectory has stalled at a critical juncture, particularly given the scale of investment poured into its state-of-the-art facilities and technical line-up.

"Aston Martin is currently moving sideways rather than forwards," said Schumacher. "And then now such a dramatic start.

"I can only hope — I believe Stroll has made good decisions — that people give him and the team, including Adrian Newey, time."

The team's driver pairing of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll only adds to the intensity of the situation.

Alonso, who joined with hopes of fighting at the front, has cut a frustrated figure in the paddock, while Lance Stroll continues to face scrutiny amid fluctuating form.

Schumacher warned that, without swift progress, internal tensions could boil over.

"Above all, they must now avoid destroying each other internally," he said. "This is going to be a huge test of patience. Alonso is supposedly in his last year and will be anything but happy, probably on the contrary, enormously frustrated.

"We also know about Lance: he is not someone who stays cheerful when things are not going his way. There have reportedly been quite a few loud discussions.

"And Adrian is obviously also very disappointed with the whole situation, no doubt. He had imagined all this more beautifully. The pressure is on."