Aston Martin ramps up F1 expertise with ex-Ferrari staff

Aston Martin has boosted its staff with F1 personnel as it continues to study the possibility of entering the sport as an engine supplier beyond 2020.

The luxury car brand, which worked with Red Bull Racing on the development of its Valkyrie hypercar, will become the Milton Keynes-based outfit's main sponsor next season.

But Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer is also closely monitoring the inception of Formula 1's future engine rules and hasn't ruled out a potential power unit deal with Red Bull in the future.

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"I’m sure we have the technical capability,” Palmer told Motorsport.com.

"Some of the people I have recently recruited, coming in from Ferrari, means I have the brainpower to be able to develop a Formula 1 engine.

"The question will be whether the cap on the expense of doing that is affordable to a company like Aston.

"That’s the big difference between a small company like Aston and the big boys like Renault or Mercedes Benz.

"The people I have recruited have associations with the F1 side in the past and also the roadside. So I have an interesting mixture now of technical capabilities."

According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Formula 1 will present its 2021 engine regulations later this month, on October 31.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.