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Aston Martin have returned to Formula 1 after a 60-year gap. The legendary British car manufacturers are back in the series as a customer team to Mercedes instead of being a full-fledged works team.
Aston Martin were born from the ashes of other Silverstone-based sides that have raced in Formula 1. The team is a mere rebrand of the BWT Racing Point Formula 1 team, which was rebranded from Force India.
The team is owned by a consortium led by Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll, the father of Lance Stroll, who drives for Aston Martin as well. Lawrence Stroll was always interested in buying a Formula 1 side.
Aston Martin's return was highly anticipated
Stroll and his group of investors first entered Formula 1 in 2018 when they purchased Force India, who went into administration due to their previous owners owing money to various Indian banks. Lawrence Stroll's consortium purchased all assets and renamed the team as Racing Point Formula 1 team.
The team raced under the Racing Point name for two seasons. However, in January 2020, Lawrence Stroll purchased a 16.7% stake in the British car manufacturer Aston Martin. This led to Racing Point being commercially rebranded as Aston Martin from the 2021 season onwards.
Aston Martin's return was one of the most anticipated events in Formula 1 at the start of this year. The team returned with a British racing green livery and signed a high-profile driver in four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. Aston Martin are racing with Mercedes engines this year, given that their origin team has been doing the same since 2009 in various forms.
2020 was a promising season for Aston Martin under the name Racing Point. The team won a race with Sergio Perez and also achieved two podium finishes with Lance Stroll.
Many believe Aston Martin might struggle in 2021 due to their low-rake car design, which caused a major loss of downforce under the new regulations. Formula 1 will enter a new dawn from 2022. The FIA will propose radical changes to car design, with a focus on aerodynamic parts. Aston Martin and Lawrence Stroll are here for the long game and have their sights set on winning races and challenging for world championships once the sport's new era begins in 2022.
