The start of the 2021 Formula 1 racing season at the Bahrain Grand Prix was the appearance of the first Aston Martin F1 car since the DBR5, driven by Roy Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant in the 1960 British Grand Prix.
Aston’s Grand Prix races have always been tied to the availability of funds. As in each of the company’s two previous racing seasons, it comes from a single wealthy patron. The first Aston Martin Grand Prix cars from 1922 were financed by wealthy driver Count Louis Zborowski.
David Brown’s purchase of Aston Martin fueled the company’s Le Mans and Formula 1 rides in the 1950s, until the front-engined DBR5 race car was overtaken by the arrival of rear-engined cars in the modern configuration.
Now comes Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who made his fortune directing the IPO for fashion house Michael Kors. He first used his wallet to fund his son Lance’s, who entered F1 as a driver for the Williams team in 2018.
Later that year he bought the financially troubled Force India team and Lance switched from Williams to that team’s more competitive car. In 2020, Stroll bought the financially troubled Aston Martin and announced that he would rename the Formula 1 team as Aston’s Racing Endeavors.
“I’ve dreamed of this day for a long time,” said Stroll. “I’ve always been a car guy since I was a kid. I’ve always loved racing too. My first dream was to own a Formula 1 team. My second dream was to acquire a significant stake in Aston Martin Lagonda. Today is about the merging of these two dreams. “
Aston Martin
“The Formula 1 grid is the right place for Aston Martin,” continued Stroll. “This is where that brand should be, and I know this next chapter in our racing history will be incredibly exciting for Aston Martin and F1 fans around the world.”
Lance Stroll works with four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel as a driver for the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula 1 team.
The post A look back at Aston Martin’s illustrious Grand Prix race history first appeared on monter-une-startup.
