Aston Martin returned to the Formula 1 paddock in 2021 after a 61-year hiatus from the pinnacle of motorsport as team owner, Lawrence Stroll, rebranded Racing Point.
The iconic British brand originally debuted in F1 back in 1959 but only stayed around for two bit-part seasons. A lack of competitiveness with the DBR4 and later DBR5 saw Aston Martin pull the plug on their Formula 1 project. They failed to score a point in six Grand Prix entries.
Life in the fast line has proven to be more successful for Aston Martin since Stroll rebranded Racing Point, though. The Canadian billionaire led a consortium to buy Force India in August 2018. Stroll then led an investment in the Aston Martin luxury car brand come January 2020.
Aston Martin F1 Team name
Lawrence Stroll became the executive director of the Aston Martin car brand in April 2020 in line with the Yew Tree Consortium’s investment that year. The Canadian used his new role to rename Racing Point as Aston Martin. Stroll viewed the F1 team as a key marketing strategy.
But they compete as the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team due to a title sponsorship deal. The Saudi Arabian Oil Group and Aston Martin finalised a new contract before the 2024 Formula 1 season that sees the state-owned petroleum company get sole sponsorship through 2028.
Aston Martin F1 Team founding year
Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford founded the Aston Martin car manufacturer in 1913. But the brand did not enter Formula 1 before the 1959 season with two DBR4s driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori. They also quit after 1960, with Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant.
Aston Martin would not return to F1 until Lawrence Stroll took control of the brand. He had owned Racing Point – which he renamed from Force India upon buying the team – since the 2018 season. The team have solely remained the Aston Martin works entry in F1 since 2021.
Aston Martin F1 Team current team principal
Aston Martin appointed Mike Krack as their latest team principal in January 2022 to replace Otmar Szafnauer. Krack brought extensive motorsport management experience to the role having worked for BMW and Porsche. He had also worked in F1 as an engineer with Sauber.
Aston Martin F1 Team current drivers
Aston Martin currently employ Lance Stroll plus two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso as their full-time race drivers. Stroll is the son of the team’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, and joined in 2019 from Williams. Alonso left Alpine to join Aston Martin ahead of the 2023 F1 season.
What F1 engine do Aston Martin use?
Aston Martin have bought their Formula 1 engines from Mercedes since the 2021 campaign. The Silver Arrows’ High Performance Powertrains (HPP) division currently provide them with Mercedes’ M15 E Performance 1.6 litre V6 turbo-hybrid power units for the 2024 F1 season.
But Aston Martin will stop using Mercedes engines in 2026 when Formula 1 embraces fresh power unit regulations after securing a works Honda partnership. Honda currently provides engines for Red Bull and Visa Cash App RB. But Aston Martin confirmed a deal in May 2023.
Team lineage
While Aston Martin first entered Formula 1 in 1959, the current team’s lineage actually only traces back to 1991 when Eddie Jordan founded Jordan GP. The team has since been named Midland (2006), Spyker (2007), Force India (2008-18) and even Force India Racing Point.
The team had to end the 2018 season as Force India Racing Point as Lawrence Stroll bought out Vijay Mallya that August. F1 obliged the team to continue using the name Force India in part for the rest of 2018 as prize money was tied to the retention of a team’s chassis name.
Stroll thus opted for the name Force India Racing Point so the team could retain the chassis name, VJM11, when F1 accepted the new entry at the 2018 Belgian GP. But the team would simply become Racing Point in 2019, through to becoming Aston Martin in the 2021 season.
Jordan GP entered 250 Grand Prix before the Midland Group took control of their operation. They also won four races with Damon Hill taking the 1998 Belgian GP, Heinz-Harald Frentzen winning the 1999 French GP and Italian GP and Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2003 Brazilian GP.
Midland, Spyker and Force India never won a Grand Prix through their respective spells. But Sergio Perez gifted Racing Point the win at the 2020 Sakhir GP, before being dropped to sign Sebastian Vettel. The Mexican recovered from last place after a first-lap incident to triumph.
Aston Martin F1 Team drivers’ championships
At the time of writing, Aston Martin have never won a drivers’ championship in Formula 1 in either of the British manufacturer’s spells as a constructor from 1959 to 1960 or since 2021.
Aston Martin F1 Team constructors’ championships
At the time of writing, Aston Martin have not won a Formula 1 constructors’ championship. The brand failed to earn a point during their initial spell on the grid from 1959 to 1960. The team registered a personal best since returning in 2021 of fifth place in the 2023 standings.
Aston Martin F1 Team factory base
The Aston Martin F1 Team moved into a new, £200m factory in Northamptonshire, England in May 2023. It became the first all-new Formula 1 factory in nearly 20 years and opened on the back of Alonso finishing second at the Monaco GP behind Red Bull star Max Verstappen.
Aston Martin’s factory is a 400,000 square feet (37,000m2) facility located directly opposite the home of the British GP, Silverstone. It took almost two years to build having first broken ground in September 2021 with the focus of performance, sustainability and also wellbeing.
The factory further features a gymnasium, personal trainers and fitness programmes, along with extensive walking and cycling trails within their campus. Aston Martin are also working on phases two and three of their factory with a wind tunnel, simulator and exhibition space.
Factory address
Aston Martin F1 Team: Dadford Road, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, England, NN12 8TJ
Aston Martin F1 Team contact details
Website: astonmartinf1.com/en-GB/
All enquiries: Online contact form
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