The forgotten Aston Martin F1 car | Thanks Frankel, it’s Friday

The car followed the specification of the DBR1 with a spaceframe chassis, double wishbone front suspension, a De Dion rear axle and Girling discs. It was conventional but was carefully done with the engine angled so that the driveshaft could run alongside rather than under the driver, allowing for a lower driving position.

Tony Brooks was one of the first to drive it, and since he was also a Vanwall factory driver at the time, he couldn’t have been better able to judge the two. And he preferred the Aston by far. He liked the handling and the brakes, but noticed that it lacked power compared to his rival. John Wyer, who was running the racing team at the time, and a man unable to overstate the facts, estimated it would be extremely competitive during the 1958 season.

What was the problem? Just like that, almost unbelievable, Aston Martin decided not to race in 1958, a decision Wyer, in his usual way, described as “fatal”. The reason was that Aston had been trying to win the World Sports Car Championship since 1952 and that had priority. In case the team couldn’t even do it in 1958.