Everything you need to know about Aston Martin

Aston Martin, along with Alpine F1 Team, are the two new teams on the grid for the 2021 Formula One season. Having saved the Silverstone-based team in 2017 and rebranded Force India into Racing Point, Canadian businessman, and father of Lance Stroll, Lawrence Stroll again decided to once again rebrand the team and name it Aston Martin, after purchasing a minority stake in the British car manufacturer. The rebranded Racing Point, in its British racing green livery, has certainly caught the imagination of F1 fans around the world.

First stint in Formula One (1959-1960)

To say that Aston Martin's first stint in Formula One was a disaster would be a massive understatement. The team entered the 1959 and 1960 season under the name of David Brown Corporation. Having suffered some delays in the development of their first Formula One car, the DBR4, the team was only able to contest four races in the 1959 season, making their debut in that year's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

Their best performance in an otherwise poor season came in the following race at the Aintree Circuit during the British Grand Prix. Roy Salvadori qualified second on the grid, posting a lap time identical to that of eventual 1959 world champion Jack Brabham. However, Salvadori would only manage a sixth place finish in the race.

The #AMR21. You’re welcome. pic.twitter.com/VtaBz3Scap

— Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 3, 2021

The following season got even worse for the team. Their new challenger, the DBR5, only managed to enter one race, at Silverstone. A solitary 11th place finish was all the team could achieve before winding up their F1 project for good.

Second stint (2021- )

After spending five years as a major sponsor of Red Bull Racing, Aston Martin is set to return to Formula One as a customer team after 61 years, made possible by major investments from Lawrence Stroll and his consortium. The team, which is a rebranded Racing Point outfit and will continue to be powered by Mercedes engines, decided to make one significant change in personnel prior to their debut season, however. Four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel, who was out of contract at Ferrari, was brought in to to replace Sergio Perez, who joined Red Bull for 2021, underscoring Aston Martin's resolve.

It wouldn’t be an @AstonMartinF1 launch without James Bond… right? 😉 #AMR21 #IAMF1 pic.twitter.com/QwDfXSKIsg

— Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 3, 2021

Aside from that, the personnel hasn't changed since their days as Racing Point. Romanian Otmar Szafnauer continues to be the Team Principal of the outfit that he had joined way back in 2009, when the Silverstone-based team was called Force India. British engineer Andrew Green will continue to be the Technical Director for the team he joined back in 1991, when it was named Jordan.

Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel in their new overalls. Photo: Twitter.com/Aston Martin

Aston Martin in WEC

Aston Martin has a rich history in endurance racing and Le Mans, in particular. In 1959, the year they also debuted in Formula One, they managed to win their first-ever 24 Hours of Le Mans with the same two drivers who drove for them in F1; Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori. They entered two cars in the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished 1-2.

In 2004, the Aston Martin Racing team was created as the factory outfit for the British car manufacturer. Having first participated at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005, they had to wait just two years to get their first Le Mans win in the GT1 category. Aston Martin Racing won Le Mans again in 2008, making it two wins in a row for the DBR9 and their drivers David Brabham (son of three-time F1 world champion Jack Brabham) and Darren Turner.

Aston Martin Racing had to wait another six years for their next Le Mans win after an all-Danish driver lineup crossed the line first in the GTE AM category. The team won its first FIA World Endurance Championship in 2016, following it up with their most recent Championship in 2020 before deciding to quit endurance racing and focus on Formula One.

Having had a strong 2020 season which included a pole position for Lance Stroll in Turkey and a race win for Sergio Perez at Sakhir, Aston Martin are hoping for a strong season with P3 in the F1 Constructors Championship as their "unofficial goal." And with a four-time world champion now behind the wheel, Aston Martin certainly have all the ingredients to be the "best of the rest" in the 2021 Formula One season, if not one of the best.