Aston Martin in Formula One

Did You Know?

• Former W Series driver Jessica Hawkins has served as a driver ambassador for the team since 2021.
• Hawkins drove the AMR21 during a test session in 2023.

History

Aston Martin first entered Formula One with the DBR4, their first open-wheel racing car. The DBR4 was built and tested in 1957 but did not debut until 1959, a delay caused by the company prioritising the DBR1 sports car, which won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. By the world championship debut at the Dutch Grand Prix, the DBR4 had become outdated; Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori qualified 10th and 13th out of 15. Salvadori retired early with an engine failure, and Shelby suffered the same fate later.

At the British Grand Prix, Salvadori surprised by qualifying 2nd, but one of Shelby's ignition magnetos failed early, and the second failed late, causing his retirement; Salvadori held 6th place, narrowly missing a points finish. At the Portuguese Grand Prix, both cars finished 6th and 8th but still scored no points. At the Italian Grand Prix, both cars qualified 17th and 19th; Salvadori ran as high as 7th before an engine failure, while Shelby finished 10th.

The car was significantly outdated and failed to score any points. For 1960, Aston Martin built the DBR5, based on its predecessor but lighter with independent suspension. However, its heavy front engine was outclassed by rear-engined cars. At the Dutch Grand Prix, the DBR5 was not ready, so Salvadori drove the spare DBR4, qualifying 18th; the team refused to start after being told they would not be paid.

At the British Grand Prix, the DBR5s were ready; Salvadori retired with steering problems, and Maurice Trintignant finished 11th, five laps behind. Following these poor results and no championship points, Aston Martin abandoned Formula One after the British Grand Prix to focus on sports car racing.