Aston Martin set for February F1 livery and car launch

The team formerly known as Racing Point has been rebranded as Aston Martin for the coming season following owner Lawrence Stroll's investment in the British car brand last January.

Although Aston Martin has enjoyed a presence in F1 recently through its title sponsorship of the Red Bull team, 2021 will mark the first time since 1960 that a car has raced in F1 under the Aston Martin name.

Aston Martin F1 Team will welcome four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to its squad for the 2021 season following his exit from Ferrari, partnering Lance Stroll.

An initial rebrand of the team's social media channels commenced on 1 January, offering teasers of the British racing green colours the team is set to adopt, along with the hashtag '#IAMF1'.

The team has confirmed that it will officially unveil its new car and livery for 2021 next month, but is yet to announce an exact date for the launch.

The new car will then hit the track at the start of March when pre-season testing begins before the start of the season later in the month.

"We've had almost a year of preparation to reach this point and we're really looking forward to seeing the reaction when we finally unveil our new identity as the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team," said team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

"Representing such an iconic brand is a huge privilege for every member of the team. We've earned a well-deserved reputation for punching above our weight, so we're confident we can do the Aston Martin name proud right from the get-go.

"It's the start of a new journey and I can sense an extra energy in the team, with a determination to push performance further than ever before.

"Combined with some of the most creative minds in the business, a true racers' mentality and the can-do spirit that has served us so well through the years, we have every reason to be excited about the future."

Aston Martin enters the 2021 season off the back of an impressive final campaign under its Racing Point guise, in which Sergio Perez scored a shock victory in the Sakhir Grand Prix.

It is unclear if the team will enter the new season with a fresh title sponsor, having dropped BWT from its name on the latest FIA entry list issued last month.

F1 will be the only FIA world championship bearing factory presence from Aston Martin in 2021 following the end of its GTE-Pro programme in the World Endurance Championship.

"Formula 1 is a hugely powerful platform that will play a key part in the overall Aston Martin strategy as we seek to take the company forward," said team owner and Aston Martin Lagonda executive chairman Stroll.

"It is a truly global sport with a huge audience that we believe can help reignite the brand and further increase its desirability all over the world.

"This is a brand that has already had huge success in top-level international motorsport such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans - and now we have an opportunity to write a new page in the history books.

"That's a hugely exciting prospect for anyone who is a lover of the Aston Martin brand, for fans of Formula 1 and the sport itself."