As the 20 F1 cars lined up on the starting grid for the last time in 2022, attention was focussed on Sergio Perez in P2 and Charles Leclerc in P3, both even in points. Max Verstappen was also world champion so the question was whether he would ‘cooperate’ to help his team mate take runner-up in the championship.
But much attention has also been on Aston Martin COGNIZANT’s Sebastian Vettel, who will be racing in F1 for the last time. Much liked, admired and respected, there were many messages of farewell (with ‘DANKE SEB’ as the tagline) and gatherings to mark the German driver’s last time with the F1 community that he has been a part of for the past 15 years.
After 21 rounds in 19 countries, the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship has reached its final round this weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, the venue of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009 and also where racing after sunset began for F1. Since 2014, it has been the last round of the championship and is likely to remain so till the end of the decade.
Last year saw changes made which resulted in a faster, more flowing track, with improved overtaking opportunities. The main changes were removing the old chicane at the start of the second sector and widening the following hairpin. The twisty chicanes at the start of the final sector were replaced by one long, banked corner. This has improved overtaking possibilities into the hairpin at Turn 5, at the new banked Turn 9 and in the final sector where the corners in the hotel complex were opened up.
The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team is the third of the F1 teams to show its new racing car which will be used in the 2022 championship The car retains the overall green bodywork with new sponsor’s logos all over. The sponsors this year include Aramco, the Saudi Arabian oil and gas company which is one of the largest companies in the world.
Designated the AMR22, it is totally new to meet the significant changes in technical regulations for the sport. These include aerodynamic aspects – which are expected to allow for more overtaking – as well as a switch to larger 18-inch tyres that give a new look. However, as the new regulations will be around a while, the design of the car will continue to evolve and might even have changes when the first round starts.
The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team will continue to have 4-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll (whose father is Executive Chairman of the company) as its drivers.
Aston Martin returned to F1 racing only last year and after a difficult season, finishing seventh in the world championship. But it is no stranger to GP racing as Aston Martins raced in the top-level category 100 years ago, starting with the 1922 French Grand Prix.
Aston Martin says that data from the 2021 season demonstrates that the global platform of Formula 1 is heightening brand desirability and product familiarity for Aston Martin as the sport enjoys growing popularity worldwide. Its website traffic increased by 15% when there were races on, compared to non-race Sundays. This increased to 25% on weekends where the company supplied the Vantage and DBX as Official F1 Safety & Medical Cars.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda, said: “The return of Aston Martin to Formula One has been a monumental moment for the brand, with transformative impact for our performance credentials and global awareness. Through the race team and our status as the Official Safety and Medical Car of Formula One, we have been able to showcase our product and test new technologies on the world’s greatest circuits.”
Official testing will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit over 3 days on March 10-12. The first round of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship season will also be at the same circuit on March 20.
The celebrations for the Aston Martin COGNIZANT F1 team were cut short after the Hungarian Grand Prix yesterday when Sebastian Vettel lost his second placing due to disqualification. The team had been unable to provide a full sample of 1 litre of fuel from the AMR21 racing car for inspection, as required by FIA regulations.
Cars are inspected before as well as after each race to ensure that they fully comply with the regulations and even the drivers are weighed. In Vettel’s case, the team could only provide 0.3 litres although it said that it was sure there was more in the fuel tank but could not be extracted. They were given some time to resolve the matter but after 5 hours, the Stewards made the decision to disqualify Vettel. The Aston Martin team will review the matter and may make an appeal.
His disqualification moved Lewis Hamilton to runner-up position, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gained third place. This puts the Mercedes-AMG driver back on top of the championship race with 8 points ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen who finished tenth but moved up to ninth with Vettel’s disqualification. The Mercedes-AMG driver gets enough points to take him past Verstappen and lead the championship.
Hamilton suffering from ‘long COVID’?
Hamilton was seen to be unwell at the trophy presentation ceremony and when asked about his condition later, he revealed that he has been facing a challenge in training after a COVID-19 infection last year. He could be suffering from what is known as ‘long COVID’ which refers to the continued effects a person experiences after recovering. These effects could go on for many weeks and there are some people who still suffer after a year. Hamilton said that he felt a lot of fatigue but was not sure if it was due to dehydration at the track as temperatures were high and he had a strenuous race, having had to fight from 14th place to finish 3rd overall.
Aston Martin returns to Formula 1 this year with its own team and racing car – the AMR21. The new contender will be the first works Formula 1 car to carry the famous wings since Maurice Trintignant’s DBR5 crossed the finish line at Silverstone in 1960.
Officially known as the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team, the team’s two drivers will be 4-time F1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, and rising star Lance Stroll (who happens to be the son of Aston Martin’s Executive Chairman).
Not a fresh new team
The team also boasts a strong bloodline, building on the foundations of Team Silverstone which, in its various guises has won 5 GPs, and is coming off the back of a race-winning campaign as the Racing Point Formula One Team, having been revitalized under the leadership of Lawrence Stroll and Team Principal and CEO Otmar Szafnauer.
“I’ve dreamed about this day for a very long time. I’ve always been a car guy and I’ve always loved racing, too. My first dream was to own a Formula One team. My second dream was to acquire a significant shareholding in Aston Martin Lagonda. Today is about the merging of those two dreams. So, as I say, today is all about dreams, and it shows that dreams really can come true, in the shape of our new AMR21,” Aston Martin’s Executive Chairman said.
Mercedes-AMG engine
The new AMR21, powered by a turbocharged Mercedes-AMG F1 M12 E Performance engine with hybrid energy recovery, ran for the first time at Silverstone in England during a promotional event today. Next week, the team will begin a full test programme at Bahrain, where the opening round will also be held on March 28.
The AMR21 carries a striking Aston Martin Racing Green livery in recognition of Aston Martin’s traditional racing colours and glorious sporting legacy. It is also bedecked by a host of global partners, led by American IT giant Cognizant, while the chassis features a magenta stripe down the side in reference to the team’s longstanding partner BWT.
Showcase for the brand
The spotlight is also on an energizing shift within Aston Martin as the team is set to become the global showcase for the brand’s engineering and performance capabilities. A new 200,000 square-foot facility will complement the existing Aston Martin F1 factory at Silverstone when completed in the second half of 2022, and the team is well positioned to become an innovation lab to drive forward the brand’s future road car technologies. These will include the suite of mid-engined sportscars, inspired by the Aston Martin Valkyrie, which will become central to the product portfolio through the next decade.
“Today is a truly historic moment for Aston Martin, as we return to the pinnacle of motorsport for the first time in more than 60 years. The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team will have far-reaching positive effects on the Aston Martin brand, our culture, and the design and technology of Aston Martin road cars. Our return to Formula One will positively and profoundly affect every employee and foremost our customer journey all over the world; and will help us bring a focused, agile Formula One way of thinking to the whole Aston Martin business,” said the CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda, Tobias Moers.
To the younger generation, Aston Martin may seem like a newcomer to Formula 1, the brand was in the sport 60 years ago, entering the DBR4 and DBR5 in the 1959 and 1960 championship seasons. As it was not very successful, it focussed instead on sportscar racing which it was more successful in, with multiple class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This year will see Aston Martin back in Formula 1 Grand Prix racing as its team will make its race debut on March 21 at the opening round in Melbourne, Australia. The racing cars will be revealed in February, but it is already known that the drivers will be 4-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel and multiple Grand Prix podium finisher, Lance Stroll.
“Formula 1 is a hugely powerful platform that will play a key part in the overall Aston Martin strategy as we seek to take the company forward. It is a truly global sport with a huge audience that we believe can help reignite the brand and further increase its desirability all over the world. This is a brand that has already had huge success in top-level international motorsport such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and now we have an opportunity to write a new page in the history books. That’s a hugely exciting prospect for anyone who is a lover of the Aston Martin brand, for fans of Formula 1 and the sport itself,” said Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin Lagonda Executive Chairman and also the father of Lance.
Brand awareness
Aston Martin understands the power of Formula 1 when it comes to brand awareness. Much work has already been done and achieved via the company’s title sponsorship of Red Bull Racing in previous seasons, Now the brand will go up a notch as it joins the F1 elite as a manufacturer.
Otmar Szafnauer, who is the CEO & Team Principal, said: “We’ve had almost a year of preparation to reach this point and we’re really looking forward to seeing the reaction when we finally unveil our new identity as the Aston Martin Formula One Team.”
“Representing such an iconic brand is a huge privilege for every member of the team. We’ve earned a well-deserved reputation for punching above our weight, so we’re confident we can do the Aston Martin name proud right from the get-go. It’s the start of a new journey and I can sense an extra energy in the team, with a determination to push performance further than ever before. Combined with some of the most creative minds in the business, a true racers’ mentality and the can-do spirit that has served us so well through the years, we have every reason to be excited about the future,” he said.
A team with a 29-year history
The Aston Martin Formula 1 Team may be a new name on the starting grid of the 2021 F1 World Championship but the team itself has a history that goes back to the days of the Jordan Racing team in 1991. The team went through various owners until the end of 2007, when Indian businessman Vijay Mallya bought it over. It was then renamed Force India, a name it would use in the championship for 10 years that followed, until 2018. However, during 2018, Mallya had financial problems which led to him having to let go of the team and it was acquired by Racing Point UK. This was a consortium led by Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll and its ownership of the racing team gave it entry to F1.
The team at first had SportPesa as a title sponsor in 2019 but then the East African company pulled out and in the following season, BWT (an Austrian company making water treatment systems) took over as title sponsor.
Stroll became Executive Chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda last year after leading a strong investment consortium to take a shareholding in the company. The consortium made a £182 million investment and gained a 16.7% stake. Stroll is a Canadian billionaire, is well known in the fashion industry, with shares in Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors. He is a car-lover with a collection of vintage Ferraris and has been involved in F1 via brand sponsorships for many years.
Aston Martin’s F1 racing years
The 1950s were an exciting time for Aston Martin. Company owner Sir David Brown, who had acquired the business in 1947 before adding the Lagonda brand later that same year, was steadily creating finely styled British sportscars of growing appeal.
Sir David recognised the importance of motorsport to the brand’s commercial success and, in 1955, made plans to develop and enter cars that would take on the best competition in both the World Sportscar Championship and the still relatively new Formula 1 World Championship.
The history books focus on the famous achievements of the Le Mans-winning DBR1, and the DB3S that preceded it, but the initial venture into single seaters, DP155, could be seen as a valuable learning exercise for the brand. As a precursor to the later 1950s Grand Prix cars and alongside this project, Sir David initiated work on a new engine, and a new road car design that would become the DB4.
From this was born the DBR4 and although testing began as early as 1957, it was not until 1959 that the car made its competition debut at the BRDC International Trophy event, run to Formula 1 rules, at Silverstone in May of that year.
Two cars competed and car No. 1, driven by 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Roy Salvadori, came in a creditable second behind Jack Brabham in a Cooper-Climax T51. Powered by a 2493cc, dry sump, 6-cylinder RB250 engine, from the same basic design as the DBR1 sportscar engine, the DBR4/250 was a 256 bhp spaceframe single-seater which weighed 575 kgs.
Despite being driven by some of the star names of the era, Salvadori and Carroll Shelby among them, the front-engined DBR4 was out of step with the new mid-engined competition and failed to mirror in Formula 1 what its DBR1 cousin famously achieved in the sportscar arena. After a disappointing debut for its successor, the DBR5, Aston Martin withdrew from single seater motorsport in 1960 and gave its full attention to sportscar racing.
It was already known that Sebastian Vettel would not get another season with Ferrari, the team he has driven for since 2015. So who he would be with in 2021 was the question in the air, and it’s been answered – Racing Point.
The 33-year old driver who has won 4 championships in his 13 years as a F1 driver is expected to be with Racing Point – to be renamed Aston Martin – for at least 3 years, although the team has not indicated the contract period.
“It’s a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company. I have been impressed with the results the team has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter. The energy and commitment of Lawrence [Stroll] to the sport is inspiring and I believe we can build something very special together,” said Vettel.
Though Vettel has had a lousy season this year and is 13th in the current championship standings after 8 rounds, he remains one of the top drivers and a good catch for the team. “On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Sebastian is one of the best in the world, and I can’t think of a better driver to help take us into this new era. He will play a significant role in taking this team to the next level,” said Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal of Racing Point.
Perez departs
However, a team can have only two active drivers which has meant that the services of Sergio Perez won’t be needed in 2021. Lance Stroll, 21, being the owner’s son, obviously would not be the one to be ejected…
Perez revealed that his notice only came the day before Vettel himself announced that he will join Racing Point but suspected something like that would happen. The 30-year old Mexican driver, nicknamed ‘Checo’, has been racing in F1 for 9 years, having started with Sauber in 2011. He has been with Racing Point since 2014 when it was known as Force India. At this time, he said that he is uncertain whether he will join another team though he is keen to remain in F1.
Racing Point’s change of name is more than just that and it will be an official Aston Martin works team. The intention is to run the team for at least 10 years, and it will be the first time the carmaker has been directly involved in motorsport in many decades although it currently has a partnership with ProDrive in Aston Martin Racing.
Who is Lawrence Stroll?
The move does not surprise observers since Racing Point’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, is Aston Martin’s Executive Chairman (after making a £182 million investment via a consortium and getting a 16.7% stake).
Stroll (the father), who is a Canadian billionaire, is well known in the fashion industry, with shares in Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors. He is a car-lover with a collection of vintage Ferraris and has been involved in F1 via brand sponsorships for many years.
Movements so far
There are still 9 races to go on the revised 2020 calendar and team owners may well be having private discussions with drivers. At this time, the confirmed movements are Fernando Alonso joining the Renault team which will be known as the Alpine F1 team, and Carlos Sainz, Jr. going to Ferrari to join Charles Leclerc. The vacant seat left by Sainz at McLaren will be taken by Daniel Ricciardo, which means Red Bull Racing is looking for a partner for Max Verstappen.
♦ A 1-2 finish for Ferrari in Singapore and for Sebastian Vettel to stand at the top of the podium – which he has not done since August last year.
♦ ‘Unfair’ was how Charles Leclerc felt when the Ferrari team allowed Vettel to undercut him and come into the pits one lap earlier, resulting in Leclerc losing his lead.
♦ Lewis Hamilton managed only fourth among the finishers but his strong points lead still gives him a comfortable buffer for the remaining rounds.
♦ Although his qualifying time got him eighth place on the starting grid. Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified and dropped to last position. This was due to the MGU-K of the Renault exceeding the power limit during the qualifying session.