Rumour: Geely wants to take over Aston Martin altogether - Zhou alongside Alonso

Chinese media are reporting rumours that Geely is planning to take over Aston Martin altogether, with Zhou Guanyu as a second driver alongside Fernando Alonso from 2025. It is a persistent rumour, so we wonder: could it be true?

Geely

The Geely Group is a gobbler of brands. The company owns, among others, Geely Auto, Geometry, Volvo Car, Polestar, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Proton, and recently British sports car maker Lotus. In addition, Geely has a 50% stake in the 'new' Smart and almost 10% in Daimler AG (the owner of Mercedes-Benz). And I haven't even mentioned the many interests in commercial vehicles, aerospace, software, and much more.

Also in Aston Martin

Yes, the Chinese company is stirring the pot there too. In May this year, Geely Group announced that it held 17% of the shares in Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings. This made it the third-largest shareholder in the British sports car maker. The largest shareholder, at 26%, is the Yew Tree Consortium, led by Lawrence Stroll. The second-largest comes from the sandbox: Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Geely in F1?

It just might. Geely is already active in racing. The company's motorsport activities are organized under Geely Group Motorsport. They compete in several TCR Touring Car classes, including the FIA WTCR championship with Cayan Racing. But the history goes back much further. Among other things, Geely drove rallies in China and in the early 2010s, Geely organized several single-seat championships in Asia.

Zhou Guanyu

Zhou is a talented driver who regularly gives Bottas a hard time. His contract at Alfa Romeo has just been extended but for only one year. So after that, Zhou is a free bird. His Chinese nationality is of course very attractive to Geely and on top of that, he brings several personal sponsors with him.

Lawrence Stroll

But the biggest question remains Lawrence Stroll. Would he be willing to give up his new toy at this stage? Perhaps he would. Sonling Lance is having his worst season ever and does not seem very motivated to improve himself. Perhaps father Lawrence now sees that Lance is not world-championship material after all. Moreover, Stroll has not made much financial gain from the adventure either. Since he bought an initial stake in 2020, the share price has only ended up falling. Sales of street cars are still disappointing, in fact, the DBX SUV is the cork on which everything floats.

And..?

Conclusion: these remain rumors but they could be true. For Geely, a deal with Aston Martin and Zhou Guanyu could be an interesting option to raise the company's profile globally. Stroll may have had enough of the tired British story, with a disappointing Lance and disappointing revenues. We'll keep following it for you!