Current Aston Martin F1 Team (Formerly Racing Point F1)

The Aston Martin F1 Team, formerly known as Racing Point, formerly known as Force India, formerly known as Spyker F1, formerly known as Midland F1, formerly known as Jordan Grand Prix, is a formula 1 team based just outside the gates of the Silverstone race circuit in Northamptonshire, UK.

Despite the numerous name changes the team are still based in the very same factory created by Eddie Jordan decades ago.

The Aston Martin name returns to F1 as a team name for the first time since 1960. Aston Martin competed in six World Championship Grand Prix between 1959 and 1960 and scored no points. Team owner Lance Stroll will be hoping for more of a return on his investment this time.

Coming off the back of the 2020 season where the team, running as Racing Point, managed 3 podiums and a race victory, resulting in a 4th placed championship finish, hopes will be high for continued success.

The new era for Aston Martin commences with a driver line up of 4 time World Drivers Champion Sebastian Vettel who joins from Ferrari, and the Canadian Lance Stroll.

 

[cider_and_toast]

So they are going to produce their own engine then?

 

[RasputinLives]

I very much doubt it. They'll rebadge a Merc one. Let's remember Stroll and Wolff are buddy buddy.

 

[Ruslan]

Not sure if it's been mentioned anywhere but from next season Racing Point will become the 'works' Aston Martin team. Not massively shocked as Lawrence Stroll bought them out but media have made a big deal of it.

This is actually very cool. Nice to have another "works" team, even if it is a very small works. Nice to have the Aston Martin name in F1.

 

[Dartman]

I understood there was an Aston power that was designed in the Prodrive days whether it actually went to the prototype stage I'm not sure, or whether it complied with the current power unit regulations, I believe there was some query as to whether the present power unit had a F1 future or there would be a rethink before they went ahead.

 

[Il_leone]

It will be interesting to see the people Aston Martin hire to get to the front. I just read DC's book when he was out of a drive at the end of 2004 and he was not impressed with Jaguar but when they were bought by Red Bull , Mateschitz was dead serious about being an F1 front runner and prepared to pump in the money as well as get the right people

We will find out if Lawrence Stroll really has the financial muscle and the vision for Aston Martin

 

[FB]

Curious, although "no conflict of interest" as Daimler own 5% of Aston Martin - Merced es chief Wolff buys stake in Aston Martin | Formula 1®

 

[Il_leone]

I think we might as well call them the Mercedes junior team officially . Merc are doing what Ferrari and Alfa Romeo are doing having a smaller team brand the name

 

[F1Brits_90]

listening to F1 nation podcast & good interview with Zak Brown & asking him about how he thinks the season will go & it wasnt the usual political answers we get, especially about racing point as he said (these a rough quotes from my memory)

Mercedes you expect to be the favourite after theyve dominated the last few years

Red Bull look like theyve probably made a big jump

Ferrari look like they are struggling & running into some troubles

Racing Point are clearly very quick & made a huge step up with what appears to be last year’s Mercedes but then thats what you would expect running the championship winning car from 2019

 

[RasputinLives]

The multimedia owner an millionaire gets a favourable press? I'm shocked.

 

[Il_leone]

Well if the car is quick we will find out how good Lance Stroll really is then

 

[F1Brits_90]

i going to give a case for defence for racing point. as they look like they could be 2nd fastest car. theyve taken alot of bashing

could this just be the perfect storm. they say its inspired & they must have abided by everything the FIA require of a constructor to be legal to race. racing point said in February that circumstances mean that they had reached the end of the evolution of their car in Abu Dhabi & had very little to gain for carrying on. so what the point for 1 season. producing a whole new car with financial expense redesigning car for 9 months & the expense at same time of the massive rule change in 2021 (at that time) this was just a stop gap

 

[Il_leone]

For the team you would think they are going to aim big with the name Aston Martin next season

 

[Bill Boddy]

During the BBC coverage they got an input from an engineer, I don't know what discipline, saying tha he had been involved in a project involving copying designs. They took as many photos from as many angles as possible and then ran what I think was a commercial package, and finished up with a copy that was exactly the same as the original.

So Racing Point may well have an exact copy of last year's Mercedes without Mercedes not being involved in an way.

 

[Il_leone]

Now that would not be spying right ?

 

[Bill Boddy]

If anyone wants to try to stop photographers clicking awsy and spreading their photos around they are welcome to try.

 

[The Artist.....]

During the BBC coverage they got an input from an engineer, I don't know what discipline, saying tha he had been involved in a project involving copying designs. They took as many photos from as many angles as possible and then ran what I think was a commercial package, and finished up with a copy that was exactly the same as the original.

So Racing Point may well have an exact copy of last year's Mercedes without Mercedes not being involved in an way.

the bits that are difficult to copy without the original are The bits that are not on show... the underside of the floor for instance...

It‘s barely believable that Racing Point have managed to:

1. Completely change their design philosophy
2. Build an aero set-up that works with that new design philosophy (even having copied it)

I wonder if Mercedes have essentially let Racing Point into their factory with cameras and measuring devices to copy the entire car!

 

[Splash]

I think it says more that none of the other teams (apart from Mercedes) has been able to come up with a new car design that can beat a suppposed copy of last year's winner. What have they been doing all this time?

 

[Il_leone]

the genuine theory is if you simply copy someone then you will never beat them because they will always be ahead of you .

Now Ferrari have got it all wrong maybe its due to the impact of COVID when the whole of Italy went into lockdown but there are other reasons behind this as well we don't know

Mercedes also allow Racing Point to use their wind tunnel but I think its pure luck that they have managed to interpret the Mercedes near enough to produce a similar car

For Racing Point its easier to do because they have the same parts or at least similar bolted with the same engine. The only other team that could replicate it might be Williams but that is not their way as they are team that prides on their own engineering.

It probably a bit more difficult for the other teams because they have to think about the gearbox , making way for the engine and also the exhausts and wings etc.

 

[cousinDave]

F1 news: Racing Point warns rivals car can be even stronger

www.motorsport.com

Probably code for "We've copied a few more bits"

 

[Il_leone]

Just send a few Mercedes engineers by putting them on "secondment " to help out