by Aston Martin announced its entry into Formula 1 in 2018, and in 2021 it will prepare its own engine for the Red Bull car. But few know that the British brand is returning to the Queen of motorsport, as it already participated in the Grand Prix in the 1950s.
The only Aston Martin DBR4 in history was created at the end of 1957. For its time, it demonstrated good characteristics. The aluminum body kept the weight at 575 kg.
The 2.5-liter inline-six engine developed 280 hp and was one of the most powerful in Formula 1 of those years. The five-speed manual transmission and disc brakes on all wheels were advanced for the late 50s.
In its first race at the Silverstone Circuit in 1958, Briton Roy Salvadori took second place. Incidentally, the second Aston Martin car was driven by the legendary Carroll Shelby – the creator of Cobra, Shelby-Mustang, and Dodge Viper.
However, luck then turned away from the Aston Martin DBR4. Over the next two years, the best result in the Grand Prix was sixth place. The fact is that competitors switched to more advanced mid-engine models with better handling.
Apparently, this discouraged the British from participating in Formula 1 for a long time, as since 1960, Aston Martin has not attempted to return to the Queen of motorsport up to the present day.
Photo: Petrolicious
