Aston Martin in major F1 move with Red Bull

WARWICKSHIRE car maker Aston Martin is set to become part of the glamorous world of Formula 1.

The Gaydon-based firm has teamed up with Red Bull to become its title sponsor and innovation partner.

The tie-up cements an partnership with Milton based Red Bull Racing.

It will also create around 100 new jobs, though these will be based in Milton Keynes rather than Warwickshire.

The team will compete as Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in the 2018 existing Keynes- season, building on the companies’ existing partnership which already produced the sold-out Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar.

It will yield future products and a new Advanced Performance Centre that will open on the Red Bull Racing campus in Milton Keynes later this year.

Aston Martin said it would also look at the opportunity to be involved in the team’s power unit from 2021 after being asked by the sport’s governing body the FIA to join discussions on future engines.

Chief executive Andy Palmer said: “Title partnership is the next logical step for our innovation partnership with Red Bull Racing.

“We are enjoying the global brand awareness that a revitalised Formula 1 provides.

“The power unit discussions are of interest to us but only if the circumstances are right.

“We are not about to enter an engine war with no restrictions in cost or dynamometer hours but we believe that if the FIA can create the right environment we would be interested in getting involved.”

The relationship between Aston Martin, Red Bull Racing and US motorsports team AF Racing began last year after the companies combined F1 technology and Aston Martin’s sports car design to produce the Valkyrie hypercar.

Aston Martin has also expressed an interest in becoming a Formula 1 engine supplier, if new regulations that will come into effect from 2021 prove attractive.

Mr Palmer said the prospect of the car maker becoming an independent engine supplier was dependent on the cost of power units decreasing with the new regulations.