How far will sink? Aston Martin † That is the question we can ask ourselves, given the disastrous consequences and the leaders waltz of recent times. The legendary Gaydon brand was hit in the first quarter with a loss of more than 131 million euros. That’s a lot for just three short months, suggesting a rather difficult year 2022 financially.
But since bad news usually flies in squads, Aston sees its top executives jumping. Tobias Moers, the CEO recruited at AMG in 2020 announced his departure earlier this year. Officially, it is the majority owner of the brand who wanted him to leave. Lawrence Stroll, since it’s about him, and then explain to anyone who wanted to hear that Moers was too authoritarian. Only since then the German has wanted to restore his truth upon departure. To him, Stroll is a despot who wants to decide everything and leaves no leeway to his teams. Appearance.
This game by it is he who says who is” in any case testifies to the heavy atmosphere that prevails in Gaydon and that does not come to regulate the results of the Formula 1 team. The car driven by Lance Stroll, the owner’s son, is at the bottom of the rankings, while persistent rumors point at best to an imminent partnership between the team and Audi, who wants to come to F1, and at worst a total takeover, which would mean a pure and simple Aston withdrawal from the queen discipline. A news that would only improve the finances of the manufacturer, as the sports department is a gap, but that would demotivate the company’s 3,000 employees even more.
An ex-Ferrari at the patient’s bedside
But amid this deluge of bad news, the brand this week announced a vacancy on Twitter for the three-month CEO position. The winner is none other than Amedeo Felisa. And Stroll, to defend his new foal, to highlight Felisa’s resume and his career in the service of the autograel Ferrari† Except that the main shareholder in his flattering presentation does not indicate that the man is now 76 years old, that he left Maranello 7 years ago and that he has since been satisfied with a role of “special advisor” of the Chinese FAW on the development of electric cars. Therefore, I’m not sure if Felisa has all the weapons to withstand the grasp of the almighty Stroll and direct the box to her hand.
Nevertheless, the mission entrusted to the new CEO is clear: the total electrification of Aston, planned for 2030. He will then be 84 years old and it is not known whether he will remain in office. Anyway, the Fast, the Arlesienne à watt that has been expected for years can finally see the light of day under the Felisa era. Provided that Stroll gives him the means to express himself, provided that the Canadian billionaire, for whom the car is far from the main source of income, does not decide one fine day to stop the Aston adventure and buy his shares by selling.
Many conditions and uncertainties for one of the most legendary brands in the history of the car. And even if the brand image is intact, it could one day disappear for good if the fiasco continues.