The Silverstone-based team of Aston Martin have been involved in Formula One since its early years, in 1959. The team now owned by its chairman Lawrence Stroll, was then owned by David Brown, whose team, at the same time of creating the DBR4 for its Formula One entry, also worked on the development of the DBR1 sports car which won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans.
When the DBR4 entered Formula One in 1959 at the Dutch Grand Prix, the car was not up to speed with the competition, and its drivers, Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori struggled in qualifying and in the race, from which both drivers retired. After a difficult 1959 and 1960 in Formula One racing, Aston Martin pulled out from the sport and focused their efforts elsewhere.
After years away from Formula One, (aside from sponsoring Red Bull Racing and becoming their title sponsor in 2018 until 2020) Aston Martin returned to the pinnacle of motorsport. Lawrence Stroll, owner of Racing Point F1 Team and the billionaire father of Canadian Formula One driver, Lance Stroll, invested a 16.7% stake in Aston Martin. Following this investment, Racing Point F1 Team rebranded and became Aston Martin F1 Team for the 2021 Formula One season, where their driver line-up consisted of Lance Stroll and four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel, who left Ferrari at the end of the 2020 season. The British outfit swapped the pink livery of Racing Point for dark green of Aston Martin.
One of the highlights of the 2021 season for Aston Martin, was an unexpected podium and the highest finish for the team in history; a second placed finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel claimed P2, Aston Martin’s first Formula One podium, behind former Racing Point driver Sergio Perez in a thrilling race at Baku City Circuit. Another highlight in the season was Lance Stroll’s stellar drive to a sixth place finish in Qatar. An unfortunate moment in the year was when Vettel’s P2 finish in Hungary was stripped due to a fuel infringement. The team finished seventh in the constructors’ championship at the end of the season.
Otmar Szafnauer left Aston Martin in early 2022, and Mike Krack was announced as his successor. A surprise announcement came later in the year from Vettel, who revealed his decision to retire from Formula One at the end of the 2022 season. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso would leave Alpine to join Aston Martin as Vettel’s replacement for the 2023 season and beyond.
Much change found Aston Martin in 2023, with their new line-up of Stroll and Alonso; as well as a new campus for the team. The season started off strong for them, earning six podiums in eight races. Aston Martin mixed it up with the frontrunners for a few races in the early stages of the season, but later dropped back as the season went on. Aston Martin finished fifth in the constructors’ championship that year. They completed the season with eight podiums and their highest ever number of points, 280. A key moment for the team outside of their main driver line-up was when driver ambassador Jessica Hawkins tested the Aston Martin car, making her the first woman in almost five years to drive a modern Formula One car.
2024 continued much like the latter half of 2023 for the team, however, they did not score any podiums and once again, finished fifth in the standings. Their best finish was P5 in Saudi Arabia. The announcement of technical genius and renowned designer Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin was one that sparked much news and excitement around the paddock. Newey’s successful career looks to continue as he joins the team as Managing Technical Partner. His arrival brings a positive outlook as Aston Martin will be keen to hit the nail on the head for the new 2026 regulations and their partnership with Honda as their new power unit supplier.
Aston Martin announced in January 2025 that Mike Krack would step down from his role as team principal, but remain at the team as Chief Trackside Officer; while Group CEO, Andy Cowell would now take on the role of team principal.
Written by Leslie.
Featured Image Credit: planetf1.com
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