Aston Martin in Formula One

Aston Martin is a British car manufacturer set to enter the 2021 Formula One World Championship under the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team moniker. Aston Martin first participated in Formula One during the 1959 season, where they would debut their first open-wheel racing car, the DBR4, the car failed to score any points. Their team would continue to perform poorly through the 1960 season, once again failing to score any points. As a result, Aston Martin decided to leave Formula One in 1960 and instead focus on their other racing endeavors. They are due to re-enter the series in 2021 after a commercial rebranding of the Racing Point F1 Team. Aston Martin is set to be headed by Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer, with Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel as their main drivers. Their team is operated by AMR GP Limited and competes with Mercedes power units.

Aston Martin-Mercedes
Full nameAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team[1]
BaseSilverstone, England, UK
(2021)
Newport Pagnell, England, UK
(1959–1960)
Team principal(s)Lawrence Stroll
(Chairman)
Otmar Szafnauer
(CEO & Team Principal)
Technical directorAndrew Green
WebsiteOfficial website
Previous nameRacing Point F1 Team
2021 Formula One World Championship
Race drivers05. Sebastian Vettel
18. Lance Stroll
EngineMercedes
TyresPirelli
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1959 Dutch Grand Prix
Races entered6 (5 starts)
EnginesAston Martin
Constructors'
Championships		0
Drivers'
Championships		0
Race victories0
Podiums0
Points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
Final entry1960 British Grand Prix
Aston Martin as a Formula One engine manufacturer
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1959 Dutch Grand Prix
Last entry1960 British Grand Prix
Races entered6 (5 starts)
ChassisAston Martin
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers'
Championships		0
Race victories0
Podiums0
Points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0

History

David Brown Corporation (1959–1960)
See also: David Brown Ltd.
The Aston Martin DBR4 which was driven by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby.

Aston Martin first entered Formula One with the DBR4, their first open-wheel racing car. The DBR4 was first built and tested in 1957, but did not make its Formula One debut until 1959. This delay was caused by the company prioritising development of the DBR1 sports car, which went on to win the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. By the DBR4's world championship debut at the Dutch Grand Prix, it had become outdated and struggled for pace against its competitors, with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori qualifying 10th and 13th respectively out of 15.[2][3] Salvadori retired from the race in the early laps with an engine failure, with Shelby's car suffering the same fate later in the race.[4]

The team's next entry came at the British Grand Prix where Salvadori surprised by qualifying in 2nd place.[5] Early in the race, one of Shelby's ignition magnetos failed, harming his car's pace. The second magneto failed late in the race, causing his retirement. Salvadori could only hold on to 6th place, narrowly missing out on a points finish.[6] At the Portuguese Grand Prix, both cars avoided issues to finish 6th and 8th but still failed to score points.[7] Aston Martin's final entry of the season was the Italian Grand Prix where both cars continued to struggle, qualifying only 17th and 19th.[8] During the race, Salvadori had run as high as 7th before suffering an engine failure whilst Shelby came home to finish 10th.[9] The car was significantly outdated by its rivals and failed to score any points.[2]

Aston Martin built the DBR5 to compete in the 1960 season. The DBR5 was based on its predecessor but was lighter and featured an independent suspension. However, the car had a heavy engine in the front and was regularly outclassed by the more commonplace rear-engined cars.[2][10] The team's first entry of the season came at the Dutch Grand Prix, but the DBR5 was not yet ready to compete. As a result, only Salvadori was entered into the race, driving the spare DBR4. He could only qualify 18th.[11] Despite being allowed to start the race, Aston Martin were told by the race organisers that they would not be paid. The team therefore refused to start the race.[12] The DBR5s were ready for the team's next race in Britain, with Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant taking part. Salvadori retired from the race with steering problems, and Trintignant could only finish 11th, five laps behind the leader.[13]

Following this string of poor results, with the team failing to score a single championship point,[14] Aston Martin abandoned Formula One entirely after the British Grand Prix to focus on sports car racing.

Potential return and sponsorship (2008, 2010, 2016–2020)
Main article: Prodrive F1

In 2006, David Richards, who leads the consortium that owns Aston Martin, and his tech firm Prodrive were granted a spot as a potential entrant for the 2008 Formula One World Championship.[15] Upon speculation of an Aston Martin F1 return, Richards made it clear that Aston Martin had a long way to go until it was ready for an F1 team. He believed the route to being competitive was to partner with an existing team, rather than setting up a new team with Aston Martin and Prodrive.[16] In 2009, Richards again announced his intent to return to Formula One in 2010 with the possibility of using the Aston Martin name, however, this did not come to fruition.[17] Between 2016 and 2020 Aston Martin served as a sponsor for Red Bull Racing, and as title sponsor of the team between 2018 and 2020.[18][19]

Aston Martin F1 Team (2021–)
See also: AMR GP

In January 2020, a funding investment from Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll into Aston Martin saw him take a 16.7 percent stake in the company.[20][21] This resulted in the commercial rebranding of Racing Point UK's Racing Point F1 Team into Aston Martin F1 Team for the 2021 season. The team competes with Mercedes power units, which it has done under its various names since 2009.[22] Sergio Pérez was under contract to drive for them until 2022, but he was replaced by four-time World Drivers' Champion Sebastian Vettel, who previously drove at Ferrari, for the 2021 championship.[23][24] Cognizant is the team's title sponsor.[25]

Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Chassis Engine Tyres Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Points WCC
1959 MON 500 NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA 0 NC
DBR4 Aston Martin RB6 2.5 L6 A
D		 Roy Salvadori Ret 6 6 Ret
Carroll Shelby Ret Ret 8 10
1960 ARG MON 500 NED BEL FRA GBR POR ITA USA 0 NC
DBR4 Aston Martin RB6 2.5 L6 D Roy Salvadori DNS
DBR5 Ret
Maurice Trintignant 11
1961–2020: Aston Martin did not compete in Formula One.
2021 BHR EMI TBA ESP MON AZE CAN FRA AUT GBR HUN BEL NED ITA RUS SIN JPN USA MXC SAP AUS SAU ABU
Mercedes P Lance Stroll
Sebastian Vettel
Source:[26][27][28]

References
  1. "Aston Martin reveal title sponsor for F1 2021 season, tease green car – Entry List". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  2. "Aston Martin DBR4". ultimatecarpage.com. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. "1959 Dutch Grand Prix". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  4. Denis Jenkinson. "1959 Dutch Grand Prix race report: Bonnier makes his mark". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  5. "British GP, 1959". grandprix.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. Denis Jenkinson. "1959 British Grand Prix race report - A walk-over for British cars". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  7. Denis Jenkinson. "1959 Portuguese Grand Prix race report: Moss trounces the field". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  8. "1959 Italian Grand Prix". motorsportmagazine. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  9. Denis Jenkinson. "1959 Italian Grand Prix race report: Walker's cunning bests the reds". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  10. Hamilton, Maurice (30 September 2017). "A brief history of Aston Martin and F1". ESPN. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  11. "1960 Dutch Grand Prix". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  12. Denis Jenkinson. "1960 Dutch Grand Prix race report: Brabham throws kitchen sink (and more) at Moss to win". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  13. "1960 British Grand Prix". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  14. "Aston Martin - Seasons". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  15. "Q & A With FIA President Max Mosley". web.archive.org. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  16. "Aston Martin owner rules out F1". 13 March 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  17. "Richards keen on Formula 1 return". 23 April 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  18. "Red Bull announce Aston Martin tie-up". Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  19. "Aston Martin to become Red Bull title sponsor in 2018". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  20. "Racing Point set to become Aston Martin works team for 2021". formula1.com. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  21. "Aston Martin F1 team 'will need to be competitive from the outset' says Stroll". formula1.com. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  22. "2020 & 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship Entry List". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  23. "Sergio Perez reveals he is leaving Racing Point at the end of 2020 in shock announcement". formula1.com. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  24. "Vettel to make sensational Racing Point switch in 2021 as they re-brand as Aston Martin". formula1.com. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  25. "Aston Martin reveal title sponsor for F1 2021 season, tease green car". Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  26. Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. pp. 333, 352 and 383. ISBN 0851127029.
  27. "Aston Martin - Grands Prix started". statsf1.com. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  28. "Aston Martin - Grands Prix not started". statsf1.com. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
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