Two famous manufacturer teams born out of humble midfield origins, splashing the cash while attempting to rise to the top of F1 in record time. There are clear parallels between Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin and the doomed Jaguar Racing project of 22 years ago, but MARK GALLAGHER believes struggling Aston can avoid a similar fate

Aston Martin has never quite had a good grip on finances, but when Lawrence Stroll invested heavily in the company, he brought in Tobias Moers from Mercedes-AMG. This helped streamline a great many projects, but the CEO has now been replaced by a former Ferrari executive, suggesting that he wasn't as effective as hoped. And after recent comments from Formula 1 drivers that the Vantage safety car is too slow, the news is negative on almost all fronts. It's quite clear that the brand needs the support of its partners more than ever, and based on the automaker's own financial reports, that support can't come soon enough.

We are transforming our products and the way they are manufactured to help tackle climate change. In 2024 Aston Martin will launch Valhalla, our first Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), followed by our first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) targeted for launch in 2025 and a fully electrified Sport/GT and SUV portfolio by 2030. We are aiming to achieve net-zero emissions within our manufacturing facilities by 2030, and across our supply chain by 2039.

The manufacturer wants to clean up its act and have all its factories become carbon-neutral by 2030 and it also wants to expand this to all affiliated suppliers by 2039. It has already been running all its facilities on 100% renewable energy since 2019; its St Athan site in Wales, for instance, will have its own array of 14,000 solar panels capable of delivering 20 percent of the required electricity.

Aston Martin has this morning announced its intention to achieve net zero emissions across its supply chain by 2039, arguing the move would enable it to transform into a “world-leading sustainable ultra-luxury business”. The iconic British car maker’s new sustainability strategy, entitled Racing.Green, sets out a vision to achieve net zero emissions from its manufacturing facilities by 2030 and cut its supply chain emissions by 30 per cent against a 2020 baseline by the same date, before then working to achieve net zero emissions across its supply chain before 2040.

The problem is caused by the downforce generated by the car’s floor, which has been made more powerful by the 2022 regulations. Until the team get it under control, any updates intended to enhance the AMR22’s performance could exacerbate the porpoising.

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll says the "ingredients are coming together" in his plan to develop a front-running team in Formula 1.

Aston Martin’s return to the Formula 1 grid has already started influencing its new car designs, and the relationship between road and race will only get stronger. The more aggressive new V12 Vantage and Vantage F1 Edition have provided a taste, while the mid-engined Valhalla’s split roof scoop borrows more overtly from Lance Stroll’s weekend car. “It’s a journey we’re on with Formula 1,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin chief creative officer.

“You will never be able to recharge an EV in two minutes like you refuel now. The convenience will never be there. Then there’s the raw materials needed to produce enough batteries for the number of cars we produce today. Right now, many millions of cars are produced every year. Where are the minerals for those batteries going to come from? Every year?

Speaking to Express Sport, she said: “Maybe not immediately but certainly I think in the next few years we may get to see a female in Formula One.” F1 has not had a female driver compete in an actual Grand Prix since Lella Lombardi competed in 1976. Toto Wolff’s wife Susie drove in Friday practice at Silverstone in 2014 to become the first woman to take part in a Grand Prix weekend for 22 years. But, only six females have ever taken part in an F1 weekend with only two making race starts.

Former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve has taken aim at Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll - telling the billionaire his team requires “more than just money”. After three races in 2022, Aston Martin are the only team yet to register a point in the championship with the Australian Grand Prix a disaster from start to finish.

Lawrence Stroll described bringing Aston Martin back to F1 as a dream come true, but their return is quickly becoming a nightmare. More often than not, when a team ends up with the slowest car on the grid, it’s because they have a smaller budget and fewer resources at their disposal than their competitors.

Four-time world drivers’ champion Sebastian Vettel believes Aston Martin has “a lot of work” ahead of it following a difficult start to the 2022 Formula 1 season. Vettel sat out the opening two races of the year after returning a positive COVID-19 result in the days preceding the Bahrain season-opener. Last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix was his first time back in the car since pre-season testing, Nico Hulkenberg having substituted for his countryman in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

After a disappointing start to the season, Aston Martin is considering its future engine suppliers amid talks of an Audi partnership.

Aston Martin has the heaviest car on Formula 1’s 2022 grid - but Red Bull isn’t far behind. But while Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen is still competitive, the same cannot be said of Aston Martin - particularly after the team’s nightmare Australian GP.

World champion Max Verstappen had said after Sunday's Australian Grand Prix that the Aston Martin 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 Vantage used in Melbourne lapped too slowly when twice deployed following crashes.

It will be the third addition to Aston Martin’s mid-engined supercar line-up, following the launch this year of the Cosworth V12-engined Valkyrie hypercar and the 2024 launch of the V8-powered Valhalla. The trio were shown together for the first time at the Geneva motor show in 2019, but Aston has since undergone a dramatic process of reinvention under new management and ownership, with the evolution of the Valhalla production car testament to a shift in priorities over the coming years.

The rapid shift to electrification has been prompted by legislative changes across the globe, outlawing the sale of new internal combustion vehicles from 2030 in many major markets, with 2035 being the final cut-off. Many have called the legislation a knee-jerk reaction, as politicians haven't given consideration to synthetic fuels, hydrogen combustion, or other alternatives.Caught in the middle of such legislative changes are niche brands like Aston Martin, but with the first electric Aston due for launch before 2026, the sports car maker's CEO, Tobias Moers, has given us a ray of hope that there will be some Aston Martin products that will not become electric.

Aston Martin estimates that performance compromises it is having to make on its Formula 1 car to overcome porpoising are costing it up to 0.75 seconds per lap.

Aston Martin’s Valkyrie already was a vehicle that happily and easily accepted the hypercar badging, but this new AMR Pro version of it is just downright amazing from any point of view. While the British carmaker published just a teaser of it, we now have a video of the land rocket stretching its legs in Bahrain. So you can see it before you’re supposed to!