Aston Martin wants to make a surprise return to Formula 1 in 2016 after 56 years, with the automaker reportedly negotiating a deal to become a brand partner with Red Bull.
The association would be similar to the one Red Bull currently has with Infiniti, which grants the team Renault engines. In return for Red Bull accepting Aston Martin as a brand sponsor, the sports car manufacturer would broker a deal for the F1 team to get the competitive Mercedes-AMG engine.
Aston Martin is in a position to do that as Daimler owns five percent of the UK-based company.
According to a report from Autosport, under the deal Mercedes-Benz would be recognized as the official engine supplier of Red Bull, while Aston Martin would become a partner and have branding on the cars.
The deal reportedly has Mercedes’ blessing, as the German automaker is interested in supplying engines to more customer teams to offset the costs of its involvement in Formula 1. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz does not see Aston Martin as a competitor for road car sales. The agreement would make sense for Red Bull as well, as the Austrian company has repeatedly criticized Renault’s engines this year.
It is understood that talks have been initiated by Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer and marketing and communications director Simon Sproule. They are the same people who made Infiniti’s long-term sponsorship deal with Red Bull a reality when they worked for Nissan.
Aston Martin only competed in Formula 1 for two seasons, in 1959 and 1960, with modest results.
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