Aston Martin and Red Bull Join Forces for F1 2018

[Paul Jeffrey]

Iconic supercar manufacturer Aston Martin have finally confirmed a tie-in with the Red Bull Formula One team, taking over primary sponsorship of the outfit from 2018.

Securing a deal to become both title sponsor and "innovation partner", the arrangement will see the former championship winning team rebranded Aston Martin Red Bull Racing from next season, in a move many believe will lead to the British car manufacturer taking full control of the team in the coming years, just as Red Bull look to be keen to switch focus to other forms of extreme sports having participated as their own team outright since 2005.

With the partnership forging much stronger links than a traditional branding deal, Aston Martin will be building a new Performance Centre at the Red Bull headquarters in southern England, destined to create over 100 new jobs and potentially leading to further opportunities for both team and manufacturer to extend their performance road car and automotive innovation ranges.

Speaking at the announcement today, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer was enthusiastic about the prospects of working closer with Red Bull Racing in the coming years;

"Title partnership is the next logical step for our Innovation Partnership with Red Bull Racing.. We are enjoying the global brand awareness that a revitalised Formula One provides. The power unit discussions (in Formula One) are of interest to us, but only if the circumstances are right. We are not about to enter an engine war with no restrictions in cost or dynamometer hours but we believe that if the FIA can create the right environment we would be interested in getting involved."
​

The new agreement comes at an opportune time for Red Bull, with the team thought to be keen to assess its options in Formula One racing should the rumoured exit of primary backer and team owner Red Bull prove true in the coming seasons.

With a major blue chip brand such as Aston Martin now firmly aligned with the team and Honda power on its doorstep thanks to a deal with sister outfit Toro Rosso, the future of the Milton Keynes based squad appears to be very bright for the medium term at least.

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Pleased to see the Aston Martin brand soon to be more prominent in Formula One? Could this be the start of an Aston Martin works team in F1? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

So... Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Tag Heuer(Renault).

 

[MoerasGrizzly]

Martin-Renault has a nice ring to it though.

 

[Martin Larsen]

So... Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Tag Heuer(Renault).

or simply AMRBRTHR as short

 

[Deleted member 205301]

It's been a long time since Aston and RB gets closer and closer...How will Aston Martin deals with Renault ? cause in 2018 the engine will be officially named Renault, and not Tag-Heuer...
Since the begining they try to attach their name with a car manufacturer (infinity was first), so it's a good thing for both I guess...
My question is : Does that means that Aston will give up GT series (GTE and GT4) soon ? to focus on F1 developpement...will they uses that fact to re-join LMP series (lmp1 I mean) ?
...interesting to see how it will be in next 3 years...
@++

 

[Frietpan]

It's been a long time since Aston and RB gets closer and closer...How will Aston Martin deals with Renault ? cause in 2018 the engine will be officially named Renault, and not Tag-Heuer...
Since the begining they try to attach their name with a car manufacturer (infinity was first), so it's a good thing for both I guess...
My question is : Does that means that Aston will give up GT series (GTE and GT4) soon ? to focus on F1 developpement...will they uses that fact to re-join LMP series (lmp1 I mean) ?
...interesting to see how it will be in next 3 years...
@++

Aston Martin is intrested to join at 2021 if they think the new engine rules will fit them (rules/money)

 

[paracletus]

Wonderful.
No, f1 needs engines - the more the better.
Porsche are bringing an engine too, apparently.
Ross brawn is going to fix the whole sport - give it a few years.

 

[RustyDriver00]

Nicki Thiim in F1!!! Let's do it Aston Martin! His video blogs alone are worth it

 

[Rhian]

A car company becoming the primary sponsor of a racing team run by an energy drink, what a world we live in.

 

[Diogo Goetz Brand]

So... Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Tag Heuer(Renault).

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Tag Heuer(Renault[And also Honda])

 

[elloLeo Kinnunen]

A car company becoming the primary sponsor of a racing team run by an energy drink, what a world we live in.

Are you implying that capitalism doesn't make much sense? Outrageous!

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

If the livery adopts that greenish grey Aston runs at Le Mans it will be worth it.

 

[darkelf1]

Waiting for ACFL 2018 mod........

 

[Rob]

Great stuff as always Paul....

Will this be just a sticker (Tag Heuer engines....rrrrraaarrrr....not) or will Aston actually do the developing? Aren't they owned by Ford? Never know anymore. Whatever the outcome, having Aston in F1 fits like a glove!!! (Except you can't get a glove over the halo).

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

Great stuff as always Paul....

Will this be just a sticker (Tag Heuer engines....rrrrraaarrrr....not) or will Aston actually do the developing? Aren't they owned by Ford? Never know anymore. Whatever the outcome, having Aston in F1 fits like a glove!!! (Except you can't get a glove over the halo).

This could be another attempt by Red Bull to get a re-branded Merc engine, Daimler is a minority owner of Aston and the new DB11 uses AMG engines (plus some Merc comforts i understand).

 

[John Jorell]

And correct me if I'm wrong Andy Palmer at Aston Martin is also the same Andy Palmer in Infiniti before when Red Bull struck a deal with in 2013. How coincidence it is?

 

[NASCRAP]

Aston Martin is intrested to join at 2021 if they think the new engine rules will fit them (rules/money)

They'll probably be 0.5 liter octo-turbo V2s.

 

[Martin Larsen]

They'll probably be 0.5 liter octo-turbo V2s.

I hear rumour about 700 cc straight-twin two-stroke Hybrid engines

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

A car company becoming the primary sponsor of a racing team run by an energy drink, what a world we live in.

edited: A car company of which i am not even quite sure who owns them and why, becoming the primary sponsor of a racing team run by an energy drink, what a world we live in.

 

[Andrew Harper]

I'm actually slightly surprised by this announcement.

It doesn't fit with Aston Martins image at all. Aston are always sportscar linked, their history revolves around it so I had my hopes that maybe they would show some interest in the new LMP1 regulations or maybe even their own DPi project. The Lola-Aston is one of my favourite all time prototypes.

From a purely selfish point of view I don't want them spending millions having a sticker on Red Bull cars I want to see them racing a prototype in WEC

The only risk is supposedly to their GTE program as that's factory supported (and therefore costs millions). The GT3 cars are of course customer run so I can't see Aston dropping that program as it's still very successful and with the new Vantage GTE/GT3 due soon that will only improve from a sales point of view.

They are still a very small fish in a big ocean when compared to Mercedes, Honda, etc. so I can't see them having the budget to create their own engine project (not yet anyway).

Unless it's changed @Rob yes Aston were owned by Ford who felt they were losing too much money so they sold out to David Richards (in 2007) and a group of wealthy industrialists (mostly oil money if I remember).

The company has done very well since that point, ok not on mainstream type levels but it's probably the healthiest it's ever been.

There is one other thing that's just occurred to me, they have a car engine development programme with a certain company called Mercedes....rebadged Merc engines anyone?