Ralf Schumacher reignites Aston Martin tension with “fire his son” suggestion

Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has told Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll that if he wants his team to become world champions in the future, he will need to replace Lance Stroll.

Aston Martin are pinning their hopes on F1’s new regulations in 2026 as the catalyst for them becoming a front running team.

Aston Martin have heavily invested in their Silverstone headquarters and have been on a major recruitment drive.

Their big money signing is Adrian Newey, who joined the team as managing technical partner.

Newey is regarded as F1’s greatest technical designer and could be the key to turning Aston Martin into a top team.

They have also poached Enrico Cardile from Ferrari and will be powered by Honda from next year.

Aston Martin have spent the majority of their time in F1 battling in the midfield.

2023 was their breakthrough year, though, as Fernando Alonso finished on the podium eight times.

Aston Martin’s driver problem

While Aston Martin have upgraded their entire team across the board, one area of contention is still their driver line-up.

Alonso continues to perform at a high level, but his performances relative to those of Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc are difficult to judge.

Stroll’s form has stagnated, and he’s failed to out-qualify Alonso in the last 27 races.

Schumacher believes Lawrence Stroll must “fire” his son to win an F1 world championship.

The German’s comments will likely irk Aston Martin even more.

The team refused to speak to Sky Germany during the Hungary weekend, with Schumacher part of their TV punditry team.

“If he really wants to become world champion, he has to fire his son,” Schumacher told BILD. 

“Lance’s 0-27 qualifying loss to his teammate Fernando Alonso says it all.

“The father has to decide: emotions or success. If he’s serious, he’ll have to completely rethink the driver line-up for 2026. I think he knows that, but the decision is difficult for him.”