ASTON MARTIN RETURNS TO F1 WITH RED BULL PARTNERSHIP AND PLANS TO BUILD HYPERCAR WITH ADRIAN NEWEY
RED BULL RACING
POSTED BY:
ALEX KALINAUCKAS | 17 MAR 2016 | 12:45 PM GMT |
3 COMMENTS
The Aston Martin brand will return to Formula 1 in 2016 as the company has formed a technical partnership with Red Bull to produce new hypercar.
The project, which as been assigned the codename Project AM-RB 001, will be a collaboration between Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey and Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s chief creative officer.
The AM-RB 001 hypercar will be Aston Martin’s first mid-engined machine that will incorporate Red Bull’s aerodynamic expertise and will go faster than an F1 car around Silverstone, according Dr Andy Palmer, the British manufacturer’s CEO.
Writing on Twitter he said: “Our first mid engined car. Faster than an F1 around Silverstone. Power, Beauty and Soul defining a generation.”
The deal means that Aston Martin’s logo will appear on Red Bull’s RB12 throughout 2016 as well as on the overalls of the team’s drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat.
Newey explained that the AM-RB 001 would fulfil his childhood dream of designing a high-performance road car.
He said: “From the age of six I have had two goals in life – to be involved in the design of racing cars, and to be involved in the design of a super car.
“Whilst the former ambition went on to form my career to date, the latter has always bubbled away, resulting in countless sketches and doodles over the years.
“The opportunity to now develop and realise those ideas whilst working with Marek and his colleagues from Aston Martin is tremendously exciting. It allows us to translate the technology we have developed in F1 into a new arena.”
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes that the partnership, which brings Aston Martin back into F1 56 years after it was last involved, will be a successful venture for the two companies.
He said: “This is a very exciting project for everyone at Red Bull Racing. Through this innovation partnership the iconic Aston Martin logo will return to grand prix racing for the first time since 1960, and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, led by Adrian, will be using Formula 1 DNA to produce the ultimate of all road cars.
“It’s an incredible project and also realises a dream and vision long held by Adrian to design a road car. We are very much looking forward to what I’m certain will be a successful partnership.”
Aston Martin was first linked with a move back to F1 last summer when speculation began that a partnership with Red Bull would provide the team with a supply of Mercedes engines after its
2015 fall-out with Renault.
The company was then linked with a takeover at Force India towards the end of the year but those
plans did not materialise.
Palmer described how being involved in F1 offers Aston Martin the chance to showcase its brand on “the ultimate global stage” and he believes the new hypercar will capture the public’s imagination.
He said: “Formula 1 offers the ultimate global stage to build wider awareness of the Aston Martin brand. However, this partnership will deliver even more than that when the hypercar that Aston Martin and Adrian Newey are in the process of developing hits the road.
“Between Q by Aston Martin Advanced, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and project partner AF Racing AG, we are going to create a car that will excite and stir the imaginations of the car designers of the future and a global audience of sports car enthusiasts.
“These are exciting times for Aston Martin and arriving hot on the heels of our DB11 launch earlier this month, this new partnership underlines that our brand really is racing again.”
Reichman explained how the new partnership provides Red Bull and Aston Martin the chance to develop a car away from F1’s closely controlled regulations.
He said: “We are in the process of developing a hypercar that combines the latest in aerodynamics from F1 and the stunning design language of an Aston Martin sports car.
“The opportunity to collaborate with Adrian and Red Bull Advanced Technologies will be a fascinating experience for everyone involved.
“Unconstrained by F1 regulations, we have a unique chance to create a car in its most efficient form that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology.”
