Aston Martin's Lawrence Stroll sees Lewis Hamilton's potential availability at the end of the 2021 season as a "tempting" opportunity to lure F1's mega star away from Mercedes.
As the executive chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda and a significant shareholder of the company, Stroll ambitions to revive the legendary sportscar manufacturer's fortunes on the road, but also on the track where the Canadian has organized a tie-up with his rebranded F1 outfit.
Stroll's objective is to place Aston Martin Racing among F1's front-runners and to fight for world titles in the future. The astute fashion mogul is sparing no effort to elevate his team, hiring four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to race alongside his son Lance and help carry AMR forward.
But the prospect of securing Hamilton's services when the Briton's one-year contract with Mercedes expires at the end of 2021 is enticing possibility for Stroll.
"It is definitely tempting," Stroll told The Independent's Philip Duncan. "Lewis in any car is great, and I am sure everyone would say yes because he is a seven-time world champion. But right now, I am extremely focused on getting started this year."
Regardless of what the future may hold or Stroll's slim chances of convincing Hamilton to join AMR, the Canadian is convinced that Vettel's blend of experience and talent, even on the back of a dismal final year with Ferrari, will prove valuable assets for Aston Martin this season.
"This team has done many things, but one thing it hasn’t done is be a world champion, and what Seb brings is that mindset, the methodology, the work ethic, and the planning around being a world champion and that is invaluable," he said..
"He is unbelievably motivated to be a part of Aston Martin returning to Formula One. You don’t become a four-time world champion and then forget how to drive.
"There were factors on his mind last year, but I don’t have one hesitation that he will be as quick as ever."
Another important component of Aston's plan to move on to the next level is the introduction this year of F1's budget cap, a veritable game-changer for the sport according to Stroll.
"From a competitive point of view, the budget cap changes the sport dramatically," he explained.
"The big three teams were significantly outspending everyone and probably had 400-500 more staff. All of that has now gone.
"Here, we are building a brand new state-of-the-art facility. It will be the most modern facility in Formula One.
"This team has punched above its weight with significantly less resources, and I sincerely believe with the same amount of people and the same budget, there is no reason why world championships are not very much on the cards. It is very realistic to think that."
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