Aston Martin announces launch plans for 2021 F1 car

Following the rebranding of the Racing Point squad under the Aston Martin name over the winter, the team has now revealed details of its launch plans at the start of next month.

The Aston Martin squad will hold a virtual launch from 3pm GMT on 3 March, and has invited fans to be part of the event by registering to 'Unlock The Vault' for the new car through its website.

The 2021 season will mark the first time a car has raced under the Aston Martin name in F1 since the British manufacturer last entered a works effort in 1960.

The deal was brought about following Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll's investment into Aston Martin in January 2020, paving the way for the F1 squad to undergo a rebranding.

The launch event will also mark a first public appearance for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel with the team following his winter switch from Ferrari. Vettel has already been present at the team's Silverstone factory to undergo a seat fitting and to get to know his new team-mates.

Vettel will partner Lance Stroll in 2021, with the young Canadian looking to build on his best F1 season to date last year that saw him score his first F1 pole position and two podium finishes.

The team is set to undergo a significant rebranding, moving away from the bright pink colours the Racing Point squad was known for and adopting the classic British racing green that is synonymous with Aston Martin.

Aston Martin has also welcomed a new title sponsor, Cognizant, ahead of the 2021 season, acting as another big change under the rebranding.

It leaves only Red Bull and Haas as teams yet to confirm plans to unveil their new cars ahead of the new season, with the rest of the grid having set their unveilings.

The unveiling from Aston Martin will come the day after both Mercedes and Alpine present their 2021 challengers, and is nine days before the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Vettel and Stroll will give the new Aston Martin F1 car its first extended run out in this test running from 12-14 March, two weeks before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March.