Racing Point

History of Aston Martin F1 team

The team formerly known as Racing Point will be rebranded as Aston Martin for the 2021 season. This will be the sixth guise of a team that can trace its roots back to 1991.

Founded by Eddie Jordan in 1991, the team first made their appearance on the grid as the Jordan Grand Prix team, giving a rookie driver named Michael Schumacher his first start at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. Several notable drivers also made their debuts with the team the two most recognisable names being Ralf Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

The team’s best season to date remains 1999 where it finished third, with German Heinz-Harald Frentzen scoring two wins in the process, in turn finishing third in the driver’s championship himself. Jordan’s final victory came at the hands of Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2003 Brazillian Grand Prix in bizarre circumstances when a red flag stopped the race and a timing malfunction deeming McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen as the race winner. After an inquiry, the result was reversed and Fisichella and Eddie Jordan swapped trophies with Raikkonen and Ron Dennis, the team principal of McLaren at the following round in San Marino.

The team would then enter a period of mediocrity and financial instability before it was finally sold to a group of investors in 2004, though the team would continue to race under the Jordan brand name during the 2005 season giving Indian Narain Karthikeyan his debut and in turn making him the first Indian to race in Formula 1.

The team would race as Midland in the 2006 championship, finishing 10th out of the 11 teams and scoring zero points. The team would then race under the Spykar when it was sold to the Dutch carmaker Spykar. The Spykar team would once again finish second from last in the championship scoring a solitary point. In fact, the team would have been last had it not been for McLaren’s disqualification for their part in the Spygate scandal.

Force India and Racing Point rebrand

After two years of instability both on and off the circuit, the team was finally sold to Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya, who would rename the team Force India. Though the team would not win a race under this name, it gained a reputation of punching above its weight recording fourth place in the 2016 and 2017 standings and attaining six podiums across 10 seasons of racing.

Unfortunately, by the middle of 2018, the team’s financial state was so bad that it was put into administration, a motion triggered by the actions of the team’s stalwart driver, Sergio Perez. Fortunately, Lawrence Stroll bought the team and renamed it Racing Point. While 2019 would be an unremarkable year for the team, Racing Point would then go on to have a stellar 2020 season.

The team which was accused of copying the 2019 Mercedes W10 car’s brake ducts was fined €40,000 and docked 15 constructors championship points. Despite this, the team would go on to achieve fourth overall in the team standings winning one race and finishing on the podium a further three times.

For 2021 the team has signed four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to lead the team as it enters an exciting phase under the Aston Martin brand name. He will be partnered by Lance Stroll who will enter his third full season with the team.

Aston Martin in Formula 1

Aston Martin will be the team’s sixth different name since it’s inception in 1991. The team which is based out of Silverstone in the UK. has had a strong affinity for German drivers, especially when it was called Jordan, with the likes of Michael and Ralf Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld, Timo Glock, and even Adrian Sutil driving for the team at some point in their careers.

Sergio Perez remains one of the team’s most successful drivers scoring one win and six podiums between 2014 and 2020.

The Jordan team was best known for racing using a striking yellow livery, which was unique on the grid at the time.