Aston Martin first entered Formula One with the DBR4, an open-wheel car first built and tested in 1957. Its championship debut was delayed because the company prioritised the DBR1 sports car, which went on to win the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. By the time the DBR4 made its world championship debut at the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix, it was already outdated; drivers Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori qualified 10th and 13th respectively and both retired with engine failures.
At the British Grand Prix, Salvadori qualified in 2nd place — a surprising result — but could only hold on to 6th, narrowly missing a points finish. At the Portuguese Grand Prix both cars finished 6th and 8th, still outside the points. The Italian Grand Prix closed the 1959 season with both cars qualifying 17th and 19th and failing to score.
For 1960, Aston Martin developed the lighter DBR5 with independent suspension, but it was undone by its front-mounted engine at a time when rear-engined cars dominated. Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant took part in the British Grand Prix; Salvadori retired with steering problems and Trintignant finished 11th. With no championship points scored across two seasons, Aston Martin withdrew from Formula One entirely after the 1960 British Grand Prix to concentrate on sports car racing.
In 2006, David Richards, who led the consortium owning Aston Martin, and his technology firm Prodrive were granted a prospective entry for the 2008 Formula One World Championship, though the plan never materialised. A further announcement of intent to return in 2010 also came to nothing. Between 2016 and 2020, Aston Martin served as a sponsor for Red Bull Racing, holding the title sponsorship role between 2018 and 2020.
In January 2020, Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll made a funding investment in Aston Martin that gave him a 16.7% stake in the company. This investment led to the commercial rebranding of his Racing Point F1 Team as the Aston Martin F1 Team for the 2021 season. The team adopted a modern iteration of Aston Martin's British racing green livery, replacing the BWT pink used by Racing Point. Cognizant was announced as title sponsor at the same time, with Aramco joining as joint title sponsor from February 2022; in December 2023, Aramco signed a new five-year exclusive title deal.
The Aston Martin AMR21, unveiled in March 2021, was the first Aston Martin-branded Formula One car after a 61-year absence. Sebastian Vettel, a four-time World Drivers' Champion, was signed alongside Lance Stroll — son of owner Lawrence Stroll — replacing Sergio Pérez, who had been under contract. Vettel earned the team's first podium in 2021 by finishing second at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, though a second-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix was removed by disqualification over a fuel sample irregularity. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer confirmed in June 2021 that the workforce would expand from 535 to 800 employees.
Vettel retired at the end of the 2022 season. Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso joined on a multi-year contract for 2023, partnering Lance Stroll. In January 2022, Mike Krack — formerly of BMW and Porsche motorsport — replaced Szafnauer as team principal. In January 2025, Andy Cowell replaced Krack.
Construction on a major new 37,000 square metre factory at the Silverstone base began in September 2021 on a 40-acre site directly opposite the circuit. Building One, housing design, manufacturing, and marketing, was completed in July 2023. Building Two, providing staff facilities, logistics, a simulator, and a heritage centre, followed a year later. Building Three, containing a new wind tunnel, was completed in early November 2024, with the wind tunnel commissioned and operational by mid-March 2025 ahead of the season.
In 2026, Aston Martin began a works partnership with Honda, whose Formula One programme is operated through Honda Racing Corporation (HRC). Honda previously supplied Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso. The works deal provides bespoke power units designed to integrate with Aston Martin's chassis, replacing the customer Mercedes units the team — under its various names — had used since 2009. The team also produces its own transmission gearbox package for the first time.
Adrian Newey, who left Red Bull Racing in May 2024, signed with Aston Martin in September 2024 and joined the team in March 2025. Newey also became a significant shareholder. Enrico Cardile was named Chief Technical Officer in July 2024, commencing the role officially the following August. Going into 2026, Andy Cowell moved to chief strategy officer with Newey assuming the team principal role.
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