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Aston Martin Name Could Return to Formula 1

Although there are still some talks to be held and papers to be signed, there is a strong possibility that the Aston Martin brand will make its way onto either next year's or 2017's Formula 1 grid.
1959 Aston Martin DBR4 F1 car 1 photo
Photo: Aston Martin
The rumors concerning this move are about a year old, but back then they were concerning a Red Bull Racing and Mercedes-Benz tie-up. This time, they seem to be more than rumors and are revolving around Force India and Mercedes-Benz, since the German carmaker's engine deal with Red Bull already fell through.

According to Sky Sports, the new agreement would see Force India being rebranded as Aston Martin Racing, while current McLaren sponsor Johnnie Walker would also jump on board with the "new" team.

High level talks are being held between Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, Force India and Diageo, with an agreement expected to be signed soon.

"We are in discussions, nothing has been finalised," said Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya. "We have many options and I will be able to confirm or otherwise when I have something to say. I don't like to count my chickens before they hatch," he continued.

As some of you know, Mercedes-Benz owns a 5 percent stake in Aston Martin via its Mercedes-AMG arm, while its engines already power Force India. Diageo sponsors Force India through its Smirnoff brand and McLaren through the Johnnie Walker whisky brand. If the tri-brand deal is signed, then the new Aston Martin Racing team would get Johnnie Walker as the primary sponsor, which would also change part of the team's livery to blue and gold.

Although it's far from having a Formula 1 legacy even remotely similar to the likes of Ferrari, Lotus, Alfa Romeo or Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin has almost always dabbled with motorsport activities.

Back in the late 1950s, soon after it was acquired by David Brown, Aston Martin started an aspiring motorsport endeavor that culminated with a Le Mans win in 1959. The British sports carmaker also dipped its toes into Formula 1 in the 1959 and 1960 seasons, with the DBR4 and DBR5/250, but neither car was as successful as its Le Mans brethrens.

Another rumor says that the new arrangement would also see Force India's Mercedes-Benz power units rebranded as Aston Martin, but you should take that with a grain of salt.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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