Adam Cooper F1

Aston Martin has agreed a new partnership with Red Bull Racing after months of discussion about a possible involvement in F1.

The news will come as a disappointment to Force India, who had tried for months to pull off a similar deal.

The Aston brand was first associated with RBR last summer, when the option of the team running Mercedes power units in 2016, possibly with Aston branding, was discussed. Mercedes made it clear that such a deal couldn’t happen and Aston’s focus then switched to other teams, notably Williams and Force India.

In December Aston’s director of marketing and communications Simon Sproule told this writer: “We have not made any decision. Also have to figure out what our path forward in sportscar racing is, and where we go with that. We are not looking at F1 in isolation.”

Discussions with Force India stalled over the winter, although the team management has indicated until recently that it was hopeful of still doing a deal at some point in the future.

However dialogue between Aston and RBR had continued in the background all along, and the deal has finally been completed. It’s been helped along by the fact that both Aston CEO Andy Palmer and marketing boss Sproule were involved with an earlier RBR partnership when they were working at Infiniti.

An Aston tie-up with Red Bull is no surprise given that Adrian Newey has been involved with a road car project for some time, and it’s logical that the project forms the background to the F1 deal.

The new arrangement also links Aston to another premium brand in RBR sponsor TAG Heuer,, to the mutual benefit of both.

Canadian GP2 racer Nicholas Latifi has joined Renault Sport F1 team as a test driver.

The team says it will put him through a test programme with a view to him getting a superlicence and taking part in at least one FP1 session this year. Latifi raced in Euro F3 in 2013 and ’14, finishing 15th and 10th in the respective seasons, and last year he competed in Renault 3.5 as well as some GP2 races. This season he is driving for DAMS.

Team boss Frederic Vasseur said: “Nicholas is a fast developing young talent who has competed in a diverse selection of championships in his short career to date. We are excited at the prospect of nurturing him into an F1 ready entity at such a dynamic time for the team.

“As well as contesting the GP2 Series – which is a perfect proving ground for new drivers – Nicholas will go through a programme with us to attain his Super Licence with a view to contesting at least one FP1 session this year. We’re proud to have him on board.”

“Being named test driver for the Renault Sport Formula One Team is something very special – an amazing opportunity. There’s a lot of history behind the Renault name in F1, so to be a part of that, and get the chance to learn from them and gain expertise in a full factory team, is really going to help my development.

“My dream has always been to reach Formula One, and there’s a lot of hard work still to do, but this is another step towards me fulfilling my potential and earning my place on the grid.”

Williams has confirmed that Paul Di Resta will be its reserve driver this season, and he thus replaces Adrian Sutil.

The Scot last appeared in F1 with Force India in 2013, before returning to Mercedes and the DTM. His ongoing Stuttgart connections probably did no harm when it came to landing the Williams job, although the 29-year-old has yet to drive hybrid V6 car in anger.

Last year Sutil tried the team’s simulator and attended races, but never drove the actual car.

The team says that Di Resta “will spend extensive time with the team at races to ensure he is fully accustomed to the controls and procedures of the Williams Mercedes FW38, should he be required to step into the cockpit during the season. He will also spend time integrating himself into the team with some simulator sessions to ensure he is fully prepared for his role this season.”

In other words as with Sutil last year there are no immediate plans for him to drive the actual car. Sutil never intended to stay on for another year and has been looking at a future in the WEC.

“It will be a busy year combining both driving in DTM with Mercedes AMG, and attending the Formula One Grands Prix in my new reserve driver role,” said Di Resta. I will be giving my full support to both and look forward to the exciting possibilities the year has ahead.”

Deputy team principal Claire Williams said: “Having competed in 58 Formula One races throughout his career Paul’s racing knowledge will be invaluable. We are also confident that given his recent Formula One and current DTM experience Paul will be able to confidently step into the FW38 and assist with our 2016 campaign.”

The Circuit of the Americas has ended doubts about the 2016 US GP by stating that the race has now been confirmed, having been listed as provisional on the FIA calendar.

There was a question mark over the event due to the reduced funding made available by the Texas Major Events Trust Fund.

However, COTA today used the unusual medium of a press release about a Saturday night Taylor Swift concert to confirm that the fifth F1 event at the venue is going ahead after all.

“We are so happy to confirm F1’s return to COTA as well as Taylor Swift’s headline performance,” said Chairman and CEO Bobby Epstein. “We can’t think of a better way to mark this important five-year milestone for F1 in Austin.

“Since we first hosted this event in 2012, we have gained a lot of knowledge and insight that has allowed us to make significant annual improvements to the event that we are confident will continue to establish the US GP as the stand-out race weekend on F1’s calendar.”

The great Alan Henry with close friend Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni in 1976

F1 journalist and author Alan Henry, always known to his friends as ‘AH,’ has passed away at the age of 68. Hugely respected by colleagues, drivers and other F1 insiders, he was one of the sport’s most influential writers for over four decades.

Alan started as a freelancer in club racing in 1968 while working for Barclays International. He gave up the security of a ‘proper’ job to join Motoring News in 1970. In 1973 he became the publication’s full time F1 correspondent, and in 1978 he was appointed editor. Later he became the Grand Prix editor of Autocar as well as correspondent for The Guardian. He was also consultant editor and a columnist at F1 Racing.

In addition to his routine day-to-day reporting duties he also became a prolific author, and was for many years the editor of the Autocourse annual.

One of his first works was a biography of his close friend Ronnie Peterson, originally published in 1975, which remains the definitive story of the ‘Superswede.’ Later he wrote books with the likes of Derek Bell and John Surtees, as well as histories of marques such as McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, March and Brabham.

Access to drivers and team personalities was much easier in the past than it is now, but even by the standards of the time Alan had extraordinary close relationships with many of the sport’s biggest players. He could count Niki Lauda as a personal friend – as with Peterson they met in F2 days – and from the early years was close to the likes of Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley, Ron Dennis and Frank Williams.

All these guys trusted and respected him, even when he was critical of them in print. That special bond ensured that he always got to the bottom of any story. In the years before internet sound bites Alan’s words and opinions always had authority, and they will continue to do so for anyone reading about the past.

As well as being a brilliant writer he was also a superb raconteur, always ready with an amusing anecdote about a driver, team owner or colleague that could never make it to the printed page.

Illness forced Alan to stop travelling to races a few years ago, but he remained in touch with the sport, and he still came to the British GP. He was a member of the BRDC, and at one point served on the organisation’s board.

I met Alan in the mid-80s and he was always very encouraging as I tried to make a career in the motor racing business, offering me much appreciated work in the Autocourse book that he edited. I offer my sincere condolences to Alan’s family and to his close friends and colleagues in the F1 world.

Just a sample of the dozens of books written by Alan over the years