Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Aston Martin

  • Vandoorne joins AM as test & reserve driver

    Aston Martin has announced that reigning Formula E World Champion, Stoffel Vandoorne will be joining the team as test and reserve driver for the 2023 season.

    The Silverstone based team, revealed that he will be sharing duties with Formula 2 Champion, Felipe Drugovich who joined the team’s driver development programme back in September – with Aston Martin saying that Vandoorne will undertake an intensive simulation and development programme at the team’s Silverstone factory.

    Vandoorne is a former GP2 winner and has made 41 Grand Prix starts – all for McLaren from 2016 to 2018. The Belgian driver has also been the Mercedes reserve driver since 2019, whilst also racing in Formula E – where he won the championship earlier this year.

    Vandoorne will be conducting his role with Aston Martin alongside his commitments in Formula E where he will be racing for the DS Penske team for the 2022/23 season.

    It is incredibly exciting to be stepping into a reserve-driver role in Formula 1 – and I’m delighted to be doing it with Aston Martin. I’ve watched with great interest how the team has developed and expanded operationally, and I know how incredibly determined it is to make progress in every area. Joining Fernando [Alonso], who I already know from my Formula 1 racing career, and Lance [Stroll], to help them develop and improve next year’s car will be a terrific job, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge – and reward – of working together with the whole organisation at Silverstone.

    Vandoorne on his new role.

    Stoffel has all the capabilities we need for this new and expanded role within the team: he is fast, analytical, hard-working and a fantastic team player, and will fit perfectly into our growing organisation, working alongside our other test driver, Felipe Drugovich. The whole team is hugely motivated for next year, and the appointment of Stoffel, alongside Fernando, Lance and Felipe, gives extra depth to our fantastic driver line-up. This will be a significant role for Stoffel, and we will be reliant on him to work hard with both our track and simulation and engineering teams to improve our performance for 2023 and beyond.

    Mike Krack, Aston Martin Team Principal.

  • AM enter agreement with FIA over breach of ’21 Regs

    Aston Martin have entered an Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA) with the FIA following a procedural breach of the 2021 Financial Regulations.

    After the submission of financial documents by all 10 Formula One teams, the Cost Cap Administration carried out a review under the Financial Regulations, and Aston Martin were found to be in a procedural breach of the rules – even though their costs during the 2021 reporting period were under the cost cap.

    The Silverstone based team were found to have incorrectly excluded and/or adjusted costs pertaining to the building of their new headquarters, new F1 simulator, wind tunnel fees, R&D tax credit, a signing bonus cost, use of transferable components, used inventories, service desk costs, cost of catering services at their headquarters, costs of desks and chairs, sponsor services and outsourced personnel services.

    The team now must pay a financial penalty of $450,000 within 30 days of the date of execution of the ABA, plus bear the cost incurred by the Cost Cap Administration.

    The Cost Cap Administration recognised that AMR has acted cooperatively and in good faith throughout the review process and has sought to provide additional information and evidence when requested in a timely manner, that this is the first year of the full application of the Financial Regulations and that there is no accusation or evidence that AMR has sought or obtained any undue advantage as a result of the breach.

    FIA statement.

    Non-compliance by the team with any terms of the ABA will result in further procedural breach and automatic referral to the cost cap adjudication panel.

  • FIA announces cost cap breaches by two teams

    The FIA has announced that two teams have breached the 2021 Financial Regulations, as they announce their review into the regulations.

    According tot the FIA, who released their findings into a cost cap investigation on Monday, Aston Martin are in ‘Procedural Breach’ and Red Bull have committed a Procedural Breach and a Minor Financial Overspend (less than 5% of the cost cap) according to the FIA.

    Williams were found to have made a Procedural Breach on May 2022, that the team then rectified in a “timely, cooperative and transparent manner”.

    Procedural Breaches and Minor Overspend Breaches can result in a financial penalties and/or minor sporting penalties. The following could be penalties for Red Bull-

    • Public reprimand
    • Deduction of Constructors’ Championship points awarded for the Championship that took place within the Reporting Period of the breach.
    • Deduction of Drivers’ Championship points awarded for the Championship that took place within the Reporting Period of the Breach.
    • Suspension from one or more stages of a Competition or Competitions, excluding for the avoidance of doubt the race itself.
    • Limitations on ability to conduct aerodynamic or other testing; and/or reduction of the Cost Cap provided that the reduction specified shall only be applied with respect to the year following the punishment being handed out.

    The review of the Reporting Documentation submitted has been an intensive and thorough process, and all Competitors gave their full support in providing the required information to assess their financial situation during this first year of the Financial Regulations. The FIA Cost Cap Administration notes that all Competitors acted at all times in a spirit of good faith and cooperation throughout the process. The FIA would also note that with respect to this first year of the application of the Financial Regulations the intervention of the FIA Cost Cap Administration has been limited to reviewing the submissions made by the Competitors and that no full formal investigations were launched. The FIA Cost Cap Administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the Financial Regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull and further information will be communicated in compliance with the Regulations.

    The FIA on the findings.

  • F2 Champ, Drugovich AM’s reserve

    Felipe Drugovich will become one of Aston Martin’s reserve drivers after the team announced the newly-crowned 2022 Formula 2 Champion as the first member of their Driver Development Programme.

    The Brazilian is expected to substitute in for Lance Stroll in FP1 at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the will also be taking part in the Young Driver Test as Yas Marina the week after.

    Looking at 2023, Drugovich will be testing Aston Martin’s 2021 AMR21 car and attend Grand Prix as part of their AMF1 Driver Development Programme – the teams new junior academy.

    Becoming a member of the AMF1 Driver Development Programme is a fantastic opportunity for me – and only adds to what has been an extremely enjoyable and successful 2022 season. Winning in Formula 2 has long been regarded as the best possible launchpad into a career in Formula 1, and I see my role at AMF1 as giving me all the tools to take that crucial next step. For me, 2023 will be a learning curve: I will be working with the F1 team, but my primary goal is to learn and develop as a driver. I hope that will give me an opportunity to race in Formula 1 in the future.

    Felipe Drugovich on his news.

    Felipe has shown incredible talent, determination, and consistency to win this year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship – I particularly remember his fantastic Sprint and Feature victories at Barcelona in May, which were hugely impressive. We are delighted that he is joining us as a member of our Driver Development Programme, and we look forward to welcoming him as part of our team in Abu Dhabi this November.

    Team Principal, Mike Krack

    We have watched and admired Felipe’s path to success in Formula 2 this year, and we aim to provide him with all the skills and experience necessary to be able to take the next step in his career. In the fullness of time, it would be the ultimate validation if he were to become a Formula 1 driver, joining the great pantheon of Brazilian racing drivers such as Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna.

    Executive Chairman, Lawrence Stroll

  • De Vries, FP1 run with AM

    Nyck de Vries will be taking part in FP1 for the third time this season with a third different team, he will be taking Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin in the first practice session for the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

    The 27 year old, ran in FP1 for Williams in place of Alex Albon at the Spanish Grand Prix, as well as subbing in for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in France.

    As per the 2022 regulations, each team needs to allocate two practice sessions to field a driver that has not competed in two Grand Prix. Aston Martin are yet to announce who will be taking part in the remaining practice session.

    I am really looking forward to driving for AMF1, particularly at such a legendary circuit as Monza. It will be my third FP1 session of the season, and in the third different Formula 1 chassis, and these opportunities have given me a fantastic insight into how Formula 1 cars and teams function and operate. I hope I can bring a fresh perspective to the AMF1 team and can undertake a run-programme that proves beneficial to us both.

    Nyck de Vries on his FP1 session.

    We are delighted to welcome Nyck to our team, and we look forward to working with him at Monza. I have watched Nyck’s career with great interest – he drove brilliantly to win the Formula 2 title in 2019 and underlined his class by winning the Formula E World Championship in 2020/2021, so we are looking forward to gaining his perspectives and insights about our car. His achievements show that he clearly deserves a shot at Formula 1 – and, hopefully, this opportunity to get behind the wheel of the AMR22 will allow him to showcase his abilities to the wider world.

    Team Principal, Mike Krack.

  • Alonso signs multi-year deal with Aston Martin

    It’s the first morning of summer break and silly season has officially started… Aston Martin have moved swiftly to announce a replacement for Sebastian Vettel, swapping one world champ for another. Fernando Alonso joins the team in 2023 on a multi-year deal.

    Alonso returned to Formula 1 in 2021 with Alpine after a two year sabbatical and has delivered a string of impressive drives alongside Esteban Ocon, especially helping his teammate get his first win last year in Hungary!

    When Vettel announced he was retiring last Thursaday, Alonso emerged as the favourite to replace him given his wealth of F1 experience as well as the two World Championships he has.

    The news comes less than 24 hours after Alpine F1 boss, Otmar Szafnauer expressed confidence that Alonso would stay with the team for 2023 and beyond, predicting talks would be “very straightforward”.

    Alpine were trying to find a seat for reserve driver Piastri and looked set to loan him out to Williams next year, but with Alonso’s exit it looks like the Aussie will step up and join Esteban Ocon at the team from 2023.

    This Aston Martin team is clearly applying the energy and commitment to win, and it is therefore one of the most exciting teams in Formula 1 today. I have known Lawrence and Lance [Stroll] for many years and it is very obvious that they have the ambition and passion to succeed in Formula 1. I have watched as the team has systematically attracted great people with winning pedigrees, and I have become aware of the huge commitment to new facilities and resources at Silverstone. No one in Formula 1 today is demonstrating a greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me. I still have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the front, and I want to be part of an organisation that is committed to learn, develop and succeed. We all appreciate that there is much to be done to get to the front, and that we must apply all our energies in working together to find performance. The passion and desire to perform that I have witnessed convince me to maintain my enjoyment and commitment to the sport. I intend to win again in this sport and therefore I have to take the opportunities that feel right to me.

    Alonso on his move to AM.

    I have known and admired Fernando for many years and it has always been clear that he is a committed winner like me. I have set out to bring together the best people and develop the right resources and organisation to succeed in this highly competitive sport, and those plans are now taking shape at Silverstone. It seemed natural therefore to invite Fernando to be part of the development of a winning team, and we very quickly established in our recent conversations that we have the same ambitions and values, and it was logical and easy to confirm our desire to work together.

    Lawrence Stroll on signing the 2 times world champ.

  • Vettel retiring end of season

    The day has arrived, and what a sad day it is! Four time world champion, Sebastian Vettel will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season.

    The German driver, who made his debut with BMW Sauber in the 2007 United States Grand Prix, revealed the news via his newly created Instagram account.

    Vettel won all four of his championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 and is third on the all-time list of Grand Prix winners with 53 victories. A six-year stint with Ferrari failed to yield a much-coveted fifth title. He has also scored one podium during one and a half years with Aston Martin where his contract expires at the end of 2022.

    Formula 1 teams, and drivers as well as drivers from Formula E took to social media to wish the World Champ well in his retirement, and having enjoyed racing him in past 15 years.

    Sebastian has used his platform in F1 to make a chnage, and in more recent years. Taking the knee with fellow drivers, raising awareness on the planet, and honestly just raising awareness in what’s going on in the world.

    Seb will be missed, his made a big impact in the past 15 years, and for me personally I’ve watched him since I was young, he was apart of my childhood. But seeing that his made this decision by himself and to do it for his family, no-one can put any negativity on that.

    I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula 1 over the past 15 years – there are far too many to mention and thank. Over the past two years I have been an Aston Martin driver – and although our results have not been as good as we had hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together that a team needs to race at the very highest level for years to come. I have really enjoyed working with such a great bunch of people. Everyone – Lawrence [Stroll], Lance [Stroll], Martin [Whitmarsh], Mike [Krack], the senior managers, the engineers, the mechanics and the rest of the team – is ambitious, capable, expert, committed and friendly, and I wish them all well. I hope that the work I did last year and am continuing to do this year will be helpful in the development of a team that will win in the future, and I will work as hard as I can between now and the end of the year with that goal in mind, giving as always my best in the last 10 races. The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it; at the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next; it is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist.

    Sebastian Vettel on him leaving Formula 1.

    I want to thank Sebastian from the bottom of my heart for the great work that he has done for Aston Martin over the past year and a half. We made it clear to him that we wanted him to continue with us next year, but in the end he has done what he feels is right for himself and his family, and of course we respect that. He has driven some fantastic races for us, and, behind the scenes, his experience and expertise with our engineers have been extremely valuable. He is one of the all-time greats of Formula 1, and it has been a privilege to have been able to work with him. He will continue to race for us up to and including the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be his 300th Grand Prix entry. We will give him a fabulous send-off.

    Lawrence Stroll on Vettel.

    Sebastian is a superb driver – fast, intelligent and strategic – and of course we are going to miss those qualities. However, we have all learned from him, and the knowledge that we have gained from working with him will continue to benefit our team long after his departure. Aston Martin is a great project, with unlimited potential, and the groundwork that Sebastian has done last year, and is still doing this year, is crucial. When we become fully competitive – and we will – one of the architects of that future success will be Sebastian, and we will always be grateful to him for that.

    Mike Krack, on Seb.

  • Mercedes want to cut one customer team

    Toto Wolff, has said Mercedes could drop one of their customer engine teams in the future due to the low profit margins.

    Mercedes currently supply to Aston Martin, McLaren and Williams with power units, which makes their engines the most used among the grid ahead of Ferrari whose power units are deployed by three teams.

    The budget cap in Formula 1 has begun to take hold of the teams and cost cutting measures have been taken or are starting to come into play as the affects are being felt.

    As a result of this, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff would prefer to keep their production costs down and letting a customer team go. But Wolff has not gave any indication on who he could be letting go…

    Unfortunately, the business of leasing engines is not compelling and interesting because the FIA have put in a certain limit you can charge to your customers in order to protect the smaller teams. I’d rather have six [customer cars], push the development further down the line and then make two engines fewer, because you need to produce two fewer plus two spares for every team. In an ideal world, I would maybe see us plus two [customers], so actually downsize a bit.

    Toto Wolff talking to Financial Times.

  • Alonso to replace Vettel?

    Acording to a report, Fernando Alonso is on Aston Martin’s radar again to potentially to replace Sebastian Vettel for 2023.

    Vettel’s seat is probably one of the most talked about this year, he doesn’t give anything away with what he will be doing next year.

    Alonso is now into his second season, since returning to Formula 1 last season with Alpine, he has had an strong start to the 2022 capmaign even though his result do not show that…

    Bad luck has played a part in the Spaniard’s season, such as a retirement in Saudi Arabia and then a hit from Mick Schumacher at Imola later forced Alonso to retire because of a large chunk of his sidepod went up in the air… As well as this, at the Australian GP it looked like Alonso was a contender for pole, but a hydraulic problem caused him to crash in Q3.

    Aston Martin have ambitions to become title contenders within the next five years, but early in 2022 they find themselves as one of the slowest cars on the grid. Vettel and Stroll scored their first points of the year at Imola.

    But with Aston Martin having a lot of work to be able to be a contender to challenge the top teams right now, it is suspected that Vettel could leave the team. F1-Insider.com report that Alonso is on AM’s radar, having first been linked to a move to the Silverstone based team ahead of the 2022 season, when Vettel’s future was also not clear.

    My Opinion-

    We all know Alonso wants to keep on driving in F1, whether thats with Alpine, or Aston Martin I don’t think he will mind. If this happens, then I could see Alpine getting in Piastri, which a lot of people will want to see!

    But will Seb retire or will he find another seat? It’s a tough one, Seb says his still got a few more years in him, but does he actually want to stay?…

  • Vettel back for Australia

    Vettel back for Australia

    Sebastian Vettel will return to the grid for the third round of the season in Australia after Covid-19 saw him miss the first two rounds.

    Whilst the four time world champion was recovering at home, Aston Martin brought in their super-sub Nico Hulkenberg to fill the spot for Bahrain, and then waited round until confirmation came through that Seb wasn’t racing in Saudi Arabia either.

    “TEAM UPDATE: We are pleased to confirm that Sebastian Vettel is now fit to race and will therefore line up alongside @lance_stroll in Melbourne to kick off his 2022 @F1 season at the @ausgrandprix,” tweeted Aston Martin on Thursday after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

    The team are still awaiting a points finish along with Williams- Could the Australian Grand Prix be the one?

    Ahead of Sebastian’s positive covid result- which came after Official Pre-Season Testing- Vettel spoke about the AMR22 and driving it: “The car wants to be driven in a different way. I am playing with driving styles and what I can do. Equally we are playing with the car, we are trying to sort some problems that we have, some of the challenges that we’ve faced, find solutions.here is still a lot to do, everybody is flat-out and there is still a very, very steep and high mountain to climb… but it’s fun, I think the challenge is fun and the belief is there that one day we will reach that peak.”

    Great to see that Seb will be back! He can finally start his 2022 season.

  • Hulkenberg to race in Jeddah

    Hulkenberg to race in Jeddah

    Sebastian Vettel will miss the second race, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as the German is still recovering from contracting Covid-19 before the season opener in Bahrain.

    The news means that, as in Bahrain, Nico Hulkenberg has been called up to jump in the AMR22 again.

    Hulkenberg will now get to experience the dramatic Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the very first time, following a difficult opening for Aston Martin as both drivers didn’t manage to score points.

    The team have confirmed they expect Vettel who is currently recovering in Europe, having flown home after the Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain to be fit for the Australian Grand Prix weekend taking place from the 8th to 10th of April.

    “It was interesting,” said Hulkenberg after the race. “It was difficult, very difficult to be honest – first time [racing] obviously in a long, long time. There’s so many things happening in the race, it’s so dynamic, the car balance is changing, the fuel load is changing, so it’s difficult to keep up with all these changes and stay on top of things.”

  • Vettel out of Bahrain GP

    Vettel out of Bahrain GP

    Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the season opener in Bahrain. The four time world champion is currently doing well.

    Vettel will be replaced by the team’s reserve driver, Nico Hulkenberg who will be in the car from Friday practice. This weekend will be Hulkenbergs first Grand Prix since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, when he stood in for Lance Stroll at Racing Point after the Canadian tested positive aswell.

    It was the third time he filled in for a race driver that year, having replaced Sergio Perez for the two race weekends at Silverstone.

    The former Renault driver will be making his 180th Grand Prix start on Sunday, in which he is still looking to break his podium duck.

    The news comes after Daniel Ricciardo returned a positive test last week, in which he missed the Official Pre-Season Test, he has since returned a negative test and has returned to the paddock today (Thursday).

    Speaking prior to his positive test, Vettel had said he hoped this season would see a marked improvement from Aston Martin. “Everything is new in Formula One and I think we’re looking at a very tight battle, and some very close gaps, between all the teams,” he said. “There’s a lot to play for – and that’s F1 at its best.”

    Wishing Sebastian a get well soon and hopefully we see him in the car next week!

  • Drivers contracts

    With the new season about to start in the next few weeks, we shall be expecting drivers to sign new contracts throughout the season. So lets take a look at when they run out.

    This year we have 10 drivers from 8 different teams, whose contracts are running out. Some older drivers may think about leaving the sport depending on whether they can get a contract extension or a new contract for a different team. Other drivers may consider switching teams.

    We could potentially see some drivers from Formula 2 come up for 2023 as there is lots of young drivers in F1 teams programme, so teams may want to use their sister teams to get their backed driver in the sport. As well as this we also have Oscar Piastri who is a reserve this year waiting for a seat for next year.

    Lance Stroll is on a multi year contract, no-one officially knows how long it is but it is to be expected either till the end of this year or 2023, which will then make it 11 drivers contracts running out this year.

    With Max and Lando both getting contract extensions already this year, we could potentially see some more drivers get longer contracts too. Carlos Sainz is said to be negotiating a new contract with Ferrari.

    DriverTeamContract end
    Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing2022
    Carlos SainzFerrari2022
    Fernando AlonsoAlpine2022
    Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri2022
    Pierre GaslyAlpha Tauri2022
    Sebastian VettelAston Martin2022
    Mick SchumacherHaas2022
    Nicholas LatifiWilliams2022
    Alex AlbonWilliams2022
    Guanyu ZhouAlfa Romeo2022
    Lewis HamiltonMercedes2023
    George RussellMercedes2023
    Daniel RicciardoMcLaren2023
    Charles LeclercFerrari2024
    Esteban OconAlpine2024
    Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo2024
    Lando NorrisMcLaren2025
    Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing2028
    Lance StrollAston MartinUnknown
  • AMR22

    AMR22

    Aston Martin have officially launched their 2022 challenger, the AMR22 with a special event held at the headquarters of Aston Martin at Gaydon, Uk.

    Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll will form the team’s line-up , in what will be their second season under the Aston Martin name.

    The AMR22, features a curvy aerodynamic design required by revolutionary new rules making their debut. Now onto the livery, it has been updated with lime detailing blended with what the team described as a “refined version of the traditional green livery”.

    The Mercedes powered Aston Martin team finished the season in seventh with Vettel scoring the teams best result with second in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The team will now be led by new Team Principle Mike Krack, who will begin his role before pre-season running in Barcelona.

    Owner, Lawrence Stroll said: “The Aston Clinton hill climb is about an hour’s drive from Gaydon and it was there that Lionel Martin launched Aston Martin into the heat of competition. That was the start of the climb that our Formula 1 team is still on today. We have a five-year plan to keep climbing and get to the top.”

    Vettel added: “Look at that car, who wouldn’t feel excited about the prospect of racing that? And when it comes to hopes for the season, I do not think anyone really knows what to expect. There are new rules and of course all the teams will be hoping that they have got it right. Everyone wants to win, me included, and no one would be in Formula 1 if their dream was not to win. I am no different. The main thing is to keep moving forward and moving up. This is only year two of a five-year plan, so we are still quite near the start. But this team has big ambitions and big plans, and I am hugely excited to be a part of that.”

    Lance Stroll said: “This is not only a big opportunity for Aston Martin, but also for all the teams. We just have to believe that we have done a better job and I know that everyone involved is working unbelievably hard to give Seb and me the best chance. At the same time, we have to be realistic heading into the new season. Our main aim is to move nearer the front than we were last year,” Stroll continued. “That would be progress. As Seb said, it is impossible to know where every team will be until we all get on track, and even then you might not know who has really got it right until qualifying in Bahrain. Aston Martin has some really clever people so I am optimistic we can make good progress this year.”

    My Opinion-

    The cars livery is just wow! Last year they had the pink on the car due to the BWT sponsor and yes it did look good, but this years car just tops it, the lime green makes the darker green pop a little bit more.

    But on another note, it will be interesting to see if any other teams will be the same design as this especially on the vents section.

  • Aston Martin announce Team Principal

    Aston Martin have announced that Mike Krack will become their new Team Principal, after the recently departed Otmar Szafnauer.

    Even though the name is not familiar in the F1 world, Krack has appeared in many motorsport roles. He headed up BMW’s global motorsport operation since 2014, which meant he was in charge of the manufacturer’s Formula E, GT and IMSA programmes. As well as overseeing their expansion into the new LMDh category.

    Prior to his BMW days, he spent 18 months with Porsche as head of track engineering for their LMP1 project, working alongside current McLaren Team Principle, Andreas Seidl.

    However, this isn’t his first time in F1, he previously worked at Sauber and BMW Sauber, which includes working as an engineer with current Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel when he was the test driver.

    “It is a thrill and an honour to have been appointed to the position of Team Principal of Aston Martin,” said Krack. “I am very grateful to Lawrence [Stroll] and Martin [Whitmarsh] for giving me such a fantastic opportunity. Aston Martin is one of the greatest automotive brands in the world, and to have been asked to play a leading role in delivering the on-track Formula One success that such an illustrious name so richly deserves is a challenge that I plan to embrace with energy and enthusiasm.”

    Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll said: “Winning in Formula One is all about bringing together the best efforts of all the principal players – drivers, engineers, mechanics, everyone – and Mike is perfectly placed to do just that. We are about to embark on year two of our five-year plan, the objective of which is to win Formula One World Championships,” added Stroll.

    “All the ingredients we require are coming together. Mike will play a central and leading role, reporting to Martin Whitmarsh [Aston Martin Group Chief Executive Officer] and leading our technical and operational functions, our collective aim being to fulfil those lofty ambitions. We are on our way.”

    My Opinion-

    To be honest, I didn’t know who would replace Otmar but, Mike seems like the right choice. He has had a lot of experience in Motorsport, so his not going in their blind-sided but the thing which stuck out the most to me was him working with Vettel in the past- it will be interesting to see the relationship between the pair over the year.

  • 10.02.22

    The first date for a reveal of the 2022 car has been announced and that being by Aston Martin! They will show the world their challenger, AMR22 on the 10th February 2022.

    The team finished 7th in the Constructors standing last year, where they saw new driver for the team Sebastian Vettel get their first ever trophy as Aston Martin.

    AM, have had a lot of changes in recent years, with Lawerence Stroll becoming owner and wanting to take F1 by storm and has ‘grand plans’ for the British team!

    The car reveal will be streamed online from Aston Martins headquarters, where drivers Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll be joined by key members of the team.

    The AMR22 is the first Aston Martin F1 Car which is to be created to the new technical regulations and then represents the biggest design in decades, which makes a significant moment in Aston Martin history.

  • Lance Stroll what happened?

    Lance Stroll what happened?

    Lance Stroll, I feel like his not been spoke about much recently? Has he had just a quiet season and working behind the scenes to focus on this years car or has he just struggled? Lets take a look into his season…

    Overall his season is okay, obviously not the best but not the worst either… 9 times he got in the points, making him finish 13th out of all 20 drivers on 34 points, his new team-mate Vettel was in 12th and scored 43 points. Stroll had 3 DNF’s across the season, one being the tyre blow out in Azerbaijian, and then the Hungarian race and the last one being Brazil where he had lasting damage from contact with Tsunoda.

    His qualifying is where you can see the inconsistency, reaching Q3 six times and then its just a mixture from 12th to 20th… I don’t know if he felt like he had a better race car than one lap pace but it just looks like he has struggled so much compared to last year where he scored in 10 out of 17 races, and where he finished 11th in the drivers standings on 75 points.

    Below, is a table of Lances’ qualifying position compared to his race position:

    Grand PrixQualifying positionRace position
    Bahrain10th10th
    Emilia Romagna10th8th
    Portugal17th14th
    Spain 11th11th
    Monaco13th8th
    AzerbaijanDNFDNF
    FranceNC10th
    Styria10th8th
    Austria10th13th
    Great Britain15th8th
    Hungary12thDNF
    Belgium15th20th
    Netherlands12th12th
    Italy12th7th
    Russia8th11th
    Turkey9th9th
    United States16th12th
    Mexico20th14th
    Brazil15thDNF
    Qatar12th6th
    Saudi Arabia18th11th
    Abu Dhabi13th13th

    Obviously, I know the car has changed, but can it really change that much? Considering his team-mate got two podiums in his first year with the British team (one being DSQ) but it seemed like he pushed the car more than Stroll did?

    But saying this, with things changing this year could we potentially see a Lance Stroll who is continuously making Q3 appearances or scoring points almost every race? If this does happen then I can’t wait to see it!

  • Aston Martin announce departure of Szafnauer

    Aston Martin announce departure of Szafnauer

    It has been announced by Aston Martin that Otmar Szafnauer has left the company and his role.

    The team will be managed by the leadership team which is already in place until a replacement is appointed.

    Szafnauer has been with the team since 2009, back in the Force India days. He played an integral role in the teams performance with the team going on an upward path.

    His role in the team also saw him secure a long-term agreement with Mercedes to use the Powertrains from 2014 onwards.

    Back in November there was speculation Otmar would be joining Alpine, as Laurent Rossi the CEO of Alpine revealed he was planning to undertake an assessment of his leadership team. However the rumours got shut down pretty quickly…

    Aston Martin says: “We would like to thank him for the service provided to the team over the past 12 years and wish him well for the future as he will undoubtedly take on new challenges. Fortunately, we are led and managed by a strong group of individuals, and we are comfortable to take a little time to explore options before announcing a new team structure.”

    My Opinion-

    Well, I’m not shocked in the slightest but it does make you think, could Otmar be going to Alpine? I could see him going there and it really benefiting the team so for now it’s just a waiting game to see if he does go there…

  • Young Drivers Test 2021

    The Young Drivers Test, allows an opportunity for teams to field junior drivers to gain experience in F1 machinery, this takes place once a year and always once the season has ended. Lets take a look at who is driving for which team!

    Mercedes-

    Nyck de Vries will be in the silver arrows. This is no surprise to me, as his took part in it last year. Not only this, but Nyck is a test and reserve driver for Mercedes. The dutchman has driven in Formula E since 2020 with the Mercedes EQ Formula E Team and this year he became the first ever World Champion in Formula E.

    Red Bull-

    We have Formula 2 driver, Juri Vips driving for Red Bull in the YDT. Juri is apart of the Red Bull Junior Team, once again this isn’t Vips first time in the YDT, he drove for Red Bull last year too. Vips hasn’t got anything lined up for next year he could become Red Bull’s Test and reserve driver, as Alex Albon is going to Williams next year.

    Ferrari-

    Ferrari have two drivers doing the test for them, Robert Shwartzman who is apart of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and finished 2nd this year in Formula 2 Championship. As well as Antonio Fuoco. Fuoco done his first test with the Italian team back in 2015 and was also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy up until 2019, he was then promoted to Ferrari’s F1 simulator team, this line up for Ferrari is the same as last year.

    McLaren-

    The papaya team have Pato O’Ward in the car. Pato is not a stranger to McLaren as he races in IndyCar with the McLaren Arrows, and Zak Brown made a deal with the Mexican if he won in IndyCar he will get a chance to test the F1 car, so here we are! Pato is doing another year in Indy Car next year and it is said if he wins the championship there could be a possible move for him to F1 for McLaren!

    Alpine-

    Now, Alpine has the 2021 Formula Two Champion in their car for the Young Drivers Test. Oscar Piastri is apart of the Alpine Academy and has had an amazing career winning 3 titles back to back. However that didn’t secure Oscar a seat in F1 this year… Instead he is now Alpines test and reserve driver.

    Alpha Tauri-

    Another Formula 2 driver is amongst us! This time we have Liam Lawson who is driving for Alpha Tauri. Lawson is apart of the Red Bull Junior Team, he took part in both DTM and Formula 2 this year. DTM he finished 2nd, and F2 finished 9th overall, there is no news yet to see what he is doing next year but speculation is he will do another season in F2 which will be his second year if he did.

    Aston Martin-

    Aston Martin have chosen Nick Yelloly for the test, Nick is no stranger to the Silverstone based team as he has been their simulator driver for a few years now, he now gets to test the Aston Martin.

    Williams-

    Williams have decided to put their new Academy driver into the hot seat for the young drivers test. Logan Sargeant will be making an appearance for the British team, he has confirmed he will be racing in F2 next year with Carlin, whilst also being on stand-by helping out Williams when he can.

    Alfa Romeo-

    Alfa Romeo will be putting their new driver, Guanyu Zhou in for the YDT, as well as testing the prototype car on Wednesday. Zhou, finished 3rd in the Formula 2 Championship this year, and now he is graduating to Formula One.

    Haas-

    Robert Shwartzman will also be in the car for Haas. This wasn’t meant to be his first time in a Haas car, he was actually meant to run in the first practice session of the 2020 Abu Dhabi GP but did not appear on the entry list.

  • Whitmarsh returns

    Former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is returning to Formula 1 this year, in a new role with Aston Martin.

    Whitmarsh became one of the biggest figures in Formula One, having been in the sport for 25 years with McLaren. His worked with some of the most famous drivers from Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and 7 time world champ, Lewis Hamilton.

    He left McLaren in 2014 and has since then been working outside the sport. He will now return to F1 as Group Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, a role which will oversee the Formula 1 team, as well as looking into way to use the brands technical know-how in different industries.

    Aston Martin, haven’t kept it a secret that they want to reach the front of the grid, to fight for wins, podiums and championships more often and this is just another step in that direction for the Silverstone based team.

    Whitmarsh said: “I have known and admired Lawrence [Stroll, Aston Martin Executive Chairman] for many years, and I have always been extremely impressed by his formidable business acumen and his seemingly inexhaustible ambition. Equally, I have always respected ‘Team Silverstone’, if I can call it that, which has often punched above its weight under its various previous incarnations, and which now has the weight with which to punch harder than ever before.”

  • AM confirm ’22 line up

    Aston Martin have confirmed their line up for the ’22 season and it is unchanged, so both Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel will be in the racing green next year!

    Aston Martin came back to F1 this year, after Lawrence Stroll was fighting for it to make its return to the sport and he succeeded.

    Both Stroll and Vettel have done well this year, even more so Seb as its a new car and team for him to adapt too, so all eyes were on him to see how he would perform and he has had a bit of an up/down season, first four races he didn’t score any points then he went on to have two podiums but got disqualified so effectively got one took away from him.

    Lance Stroll said: “Next season I will be embarking on my sixth year in Formula One, alongside my team-mate Sebastian. We started this Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team campaign together and I greatly look forward to continuing the journey with him next year. We have not achieved what we set out to do this year, but that has only amplified our hunger and drive for success next season.”

    Sebastian Vettel said: “I am really looking forward to racing the new generation of Formula One cars. Their look is very different and the new technical regulations should give us cars that can race much more closely than recently. More exciting racing will be great for the drivers as well as for the fans.”

    My Opinion-

    I believe this is the right call, I didn’t see Stroll going anywhere because of his dad owning the team… And I thought it would be silly to get rid of Vettel as he has performed very well in the car and no doubt is going to give some pointers for helping with the 2022 car.

  • Aston Martin withdraw appeal…

    Aston Martin started to appeal Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix, however the stewards dismissed it and since then withdrew.

    On the 5th of August, AM started to appeal, the team released a statement saying that the data showed their was enough fuel left in the car.

    On the 9th August, the stewards heard from the team. After hearing the review the FIA revealed Aston Martin had discovered a faulty fuel pump which lead to personnel only extracting 0.3 litres.

    Therefore the officials dismissed the right to review, which means that Vettel’s disqualification from the race still stands.

    Now today (12/08) , Aston Martin have withdrawn their appeal against the disqualification.
    A statement from the team said: “Having considered our position and having noted the FIA stewards’ verdict that there was clear new evidence of a fuel system failure, we have nonetheless withdrawn our appeal on the basis that we believe doing so outweighs the benefits of it being heard.”

    My opinion-

    I can see why the team wanted to appeal, it’s such a close season and 18 points is a lot too lose! However rules are rules at the end of the day, they never would of got away with it which is a shame but I’m sure Aston Martin will get another podium this season!

  • Pirelli tyres

    So following on from the weekend in Azerbaijian, during the race we have two high speed crashes from Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen because of tyre blowouts.

    Both drivers were on the hard tyre compound, Lap 30 of the race is when Stroll crashed and spun violently into the wall which could of been a lot worse! Verstappen was leading the race with only 5 laps to go and then he suffered the exact same.

    However, Pirelli’s Head of F1 and Car Racing didn’t believe that tyre wear had been the issue in either of the incidents Mario Isola told the media: “I don’t want to give any preliminary conclusions. But it seems that it is a cut due to debris, because as I said, it’s not the most stressed tyre… We had other cars with the same number of laps [on the] same tyres without any issue. So the preliminary investigation is that it is probably due to an external factor, or debris, or kerb or whatever.” Isola then went on to add “Another element was there was no sign, or any warning according to the teams, we have to receive the telemetry from them but what they told us was that there was no warning, no vibration nothing to seem that there would be something in the tyres.”

    Isola suggested that Verstappens crash could have been caused by running over debris from Stroll’s crash. Meanwhile Pirelli announced that they have also spotted a cut in the hard tyre of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, this was discovered when everyone pitted under the red flag.

    My Opinion:

    I personally have very mixed views on this, I think that Pirelli need to review there Hard compound tyre, I don’t think Stroll’s was due to debris as no one had crashed before him and to make that big of impact to the tyre and car you’d expect it to be a big piece of debris off a crash. Where as Verstappen’s could possibly be a bit of debris, when you watch the replay you can see no debris on the track big enough to cut the tyre but then again this isn’t the first time the hard tyre has had a blowout etc as last year at Silverstone’s first race, Bottas, Sainz and Hamilton all suffered tyre blowouts on the hard tyre.

    I’d love to know your view on this so I have added a poll and video below!

    Sky Sports Video on Youtube

  • To sue or not to sue?

    During the course of last weekend it came to light that Aston Martin refused to rule out taking the FIA to court due to regulation changes which have severely hindered them this season and we are only two weekends in…

    A series of modifications made last year has reduced the downforce available from the rear floor which has harmed teams with low-rake cars, including Aston Martin. It’s taken the Silverstone based team from race winners to the lower end of the midfield.

    These changes were made for safety reasons given the downforce was becoming too great for the Pirelli’s tyres… However the Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes its for other reasons😬

    Although, this is now a different case and it seems like Aston Martin have now dropped this slightly… Szafnauer has softened his stance over the changes after a couple of meetings with the FIA. They are still in talks with the FIA but it was mainly wanting to know what the steps were and that their done properly and equitably.

    In my opinion I don’t really understand why Aston Martin are bringing it up now? As they knew that their car was going to be affected and they weren’t going to be the only ones… The FIA know what they are doing and they want the cars to be safe to keep the drivers safe, as thats what really matters here. It’s not like it got sprung on them with a weeks notice? All the teams agreed to tweak their floors and got given plenty of warning…👀

  • The Mid Field Battle

    The mid field battle is always the best, there’s always drama on and off the track, last year we had the mid field battle being McLaren, Racing point and Renault.

    McLaren ended up third last year in the constructors championship after a strong season, they are eventually making their way back up to the top to fight for the championship…

    Will it be the same three battling again or will McLaren be taking the fight to Red Bull?

    I personally hope that they do take the fight to Red Bull. I want to see the McLaren boys up on the podium more and fighting for wins! Although I do think they have more of an advantage as they now have Daniel Ricciardo and Lando had a strong season last year

    It will be interesting to see how Alpine and Aston Martin do this year, obviously they both have two drivers who weren’t in their team last year so it may set them back a little bit as they won’t be use to the car.

    If pre-season testing is anything to go by McLaren were very quick and it seemed Daniel settled in quickly. Aston Martin had quite a few problems over the course of the weekend. And Alpine wasn’t actually that bad, I thought they would of been worse to be honest…

    I think it’s going to be a very close season this year especially because of how many races there are, we could see a variety of drivers on the podium this year…

    Only one more week to go till the first race!