Aston: out of Ford and into F1?
Posted by Nick Trott at 3:15PM on Monday 12 March, 2007 4 Comments
So, a consortium led by David Richards has just purchased Aston Martin.
This has got me very excited because it could mean that Aston Martin will return to F1. Here's how. David Richards is the boss of Prodrive, the company who owns the 12th slot to compete in the 2008 F1 World Championship.
David Richards and his team managed the BAR F1 team from 2002 to 2004 (coming second in the 2004 manufacturers' championship) and David Richards was the Team Principal for the Benetton F1 squad in 1998, so knows a thing or two about F1.
Another person who knows a thing or two about F1 is Dr Ulrich Bez, the current Chief Executive of Aston Martin.
While at Porsche, Dr Bez established the company's motor sport efforts in the World Sportscar Championship, Indianapolis, Le Mans and - you guessed it - F1. He was the man principally behind the TAG Porsche F1 engine in the mid-80s.
Richards and Bez make a formidable F1 brain.
The existing link between Aston Martin and Cosworth (that V12 in the DB9/Vanquish is a Cosworth lump) indicates a possible comeback for the 2.4-litre V8 produced last year for Williams.
And although this engine will be two years old by the time it (could) appear in the back of an Aston Martin F1 car, the recent engine technology freeze means that it won't be significantly down on power compared with rival units.
The chassis? Well, Richards was thought to be courting Ron Dennis for a supply of McLaren monocoques, but that could be complicated by McLaren's link with Mercedes (who is unlikely to want Aston Martin - a rival brand - to run 'their' cars. It's also made more problematic by the fact that 'McLaren' could be 'Mercedes' by the end of the year anyway.
Rumours of Ron Dennis selling his remaining shares in McLaren to Mercedes just won't go away.
There is a chance that Richards will build the chassis in-house with his substantial Middle-Eastern backing, but on the other hand he has always been keen to run a streamlined, economical F1 effort. These were his words, when it was announced Prodrive had secured the 12th F1 slot last year.
"We are confident that the new regulations will not only allow Prodrive to be competitive on an affordable budget, but will also make Formula One more exciting and, ultimately, even more entertaining for spectators and TV audiences around the world."
Those 'new regulations' talked about by Richards refer to buying chassis from existing teams. A substantially more economical way of competing in F1 than developing your own.
So, in theory, an Aston Martin team could be competing in the 2008 World Championship. I don't expect an announcement immediately but do expect a lot of people to ask the question.
I'll be one of them. Unless I'm not washing a huge amount of egg off my face first.
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4 Comments for "Aston: out of Ford and into F1?"
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Hmmm, an interesting proposition you have there. It would definitely be the best looking car on the grid without question.
I just hope - if this Prodrive-Aston Martin F1 idea does happen - that it doesn't do a Jaguar and last about 2 or 3 years.
A fair amount of counting chickens going on there, but I think it would be great. They are an ideal team to have in F1.
One of the reasons that Ferrari is perfect for F1 is the same reason that Aston is too: They make sexy and fast cars in 'real' life.
It would be ace not only to see British drivers competing in Fomula 1, but also a British team competing as well.
Even though it probably wouldn't make an immediate impact, I would be fairly confident that Prodrive will be able to make a chassis and engine if they compete in 2008.
Well I must admit that the thought had crossed my mind too. If they could do it right in five or six years time, they could take Aston into the Ferrari-style manufacturer/team.
Just think road- going Astons with that mad Prodrive 4 wheel drive system they showed a couple of years back.
Coupled with a successful racing brand, it would take Aston to the next level. Of course that's what was hoped for Jag too, and er, well, let's not go there.
Still fingers, toes, legs and arms crossed!