Otmar Szafnauer blames Aston Martin's F1 struggles on five-year problem

Former Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has suggested that the root cause of the team's current Formula 1 struggles can be traced back five years.

Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast alongside broadcaster Jake Humphrey and former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley, Szafnauer discussed the Silverstone outfit's trajectory under the ownership of Lawrence Stroll.

Despite staggering investment in infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art campus and wind tunnel, a new power unit partnership with Honda, and some high-profile signings such as Adrian Newey, Aston Martin has found itself battling against major issues in 2026.

When asked by Humphrey when the current issues began, Szafnauer said: "I think Lawrence has owned the team for eight years now. You've got to go back five years.

"For me, the mess comes from wanting success too quickly in Formula 1. And wanting success too quickly and not being patient means you get personnel turnover too quickly. And the most successful teams are the stable ones."

Otmar Szafnauer

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Szafnauer, who led the team through its Force India and Racing Point eras before leaving the role in early 2022 to move to Alpine, pointed to the success of other teams. "That's what Toto [Wolff] and Mercedes have now - stability of personnel. That's what Red Bull had when they were winning, and Ferrari was the same under Ross [Brawn]," he added.

While Aston Martin introduced an extensive upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix, it still has some way to go to bridge the gap to its rivals after a difficult start to the season.

The Stroll-owned team currently sits 10th in the constructors' championship with one point, scored by two-time champion Fernando Alonso at the Monaco Grand Prix when several other drivers were handed penalties. It sits only ahead of the newly formed Cadillac F1 team in 11th and is 10 points behind Williams in ninth.