Team story
Origins
David Brown wanted to add a Formula 1 project alongside Aston Martin's sports-car programme. The DBR4 began testing in 1957 but reached Grands Prix in 1959, when front-engined cars were giving way to mid-engined single-seaters. Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby drove in that first World Championship attempt, followed by the DBR5 in 1960.
The Formula 1 journey
Salvadori took second at the non-championship International Trophy in 1959, but in World Championship Grands Prix the DBR4 never did better than sixth. The brand's return in 2021, by contrast, brought a podium for Sebastian Vettel at Baku. In 2023, Fernando Alonso, who had replaced Vettel, claimed eight podiums in the AMR23 alongside Lance Stroll.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Aston Martin
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · Dutch Grand Prix
Carroll Shelby · Dutch Grand Prix 1959. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel · Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021. The recorded position is P2; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This marks the first win or podium where one exists, otherwise the highest recorded placing for this constructor.
Latest recorded appearance · Spanish Grand Prix
Lance Stroll · Spanish Grand Prix 2026. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the latest start in the archived snapshot, not the end of the team’s activities.
A distinctive way of racing
The modern team derives from Racing Point and the Silverstone organisation, not the operation behind the DBR4s. The brand's arrival brought a change of identity and an investment programme: the new campus and subsequent wind tunnel expanded its in-house capabilities. Stroll's presence links this period to Lawrence Stroll's ownership, while Alonso is its principal sporting figure.
What remains
The single-seaters of the 1950s and the AMRs share a name, not an uninterrupted racing operation. The project continues through to the AMR26 in the local catalogue; its 2026 season remains partial there and does not allow a final assessment. Vettel's podium and Alonso's 2023 season are already documented, distinct from Aston Martin's victories in sports-car racing.
