Aston Martin to be Red Bull’s 2018 title sponsor

Red Bull just can not stay out of the news. Be it dissatisfaction over power units, or their drivers being not satisfied by their performance, or the fact that people are now mocking them for including 13 in the car’s name. The Austrian team just loves to make the headlines.

This time though, a positive news for a change. Aston Martin have been announced as the title sponsor for the 2018 season. The British marquee have been Red Bull’s innovation partner since 2016. The two brands joined hands to collaborate on a road car, the Aston Martin Valkyrie back in 2016. The collaboration will reach new levels in 2018. A new Advanced Performance Centre was built on Red Bull’s campus in Milton Keynes. All this was part of the arrangement between the two. It will house the development of Red Bull and Aston’s next supercar project and foster closer collaboration between the two brands.

“Having conceived and created the remarkably successful Aston Martin Valkyrie together in 2016, we extended our relationship this year and are now delighted to further strengthen the Partnership and see the team competing as Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in 2018,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

“In addition, more than 100 Aston Martin staff will service the new Advanced Performance Centre on our campus here in Milton Keynes and it will allow us to collaborate further with Aston Martin on special, equally innovative, new projects.”

So clearly, Red Bull is enthusiastic for the collaboration. But will Aston also clear away Red Bull’s power unit supply woes?

“Aston would only be interested in entering its own engine if the technology and costs are kept under control. Title partnership is the next logical step for our ‘innovation partnership’ with Red Bull Racing,” said Aston Martin president and CEO Andy Palmer. “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.”

So all in all, not yet. If the FIA take care of the engine supply, Red Bull may consider staying on. And Aston Martin agrees. Oh well, one good news at a time…