Several Formula 1 teams have been through a handful of identities. Mercedes has previously existed as Tyrrell, BAR and Honda, Renault has had Lotus, Benetton and Toleman signage above the door, while Toro Rosso is about to enter life as Alpha Tauri, having previously been Minardi. But over at Silverstone the team currently known as Racing Point will enter its third decade in the championship with a sixth different name, as Motorsport Week explains.
Jordan (1991-2005)
The colourful Irishman Eddie Jordan brought his eponymous team into Formula 1 in 1991 and for a decade was renowned largely as a plucky underdog with some iconic liveries, none more so than its 1991-spec 191, regarded as one of the sport’s best-looking cars. Jordan handed debuts to both Schumachers, Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine and by the mid-1990s the team established itself as a bona fide midfield contender. A stunning 1-2 victory, led by Damon Hill, at the rain-lashed 1998 Belgian GP proved the high point while a year later the team reached its pinnacle, finishing third in the standings, and taking two wins courtesy of Heinz-Harald Frentzen. But Honda’s departure after 2002 coincided with declining finances and, aside from a shock win with Giancarlo Fisichella in the wet in Brazil in 2003, results waned. Jordan sold up to the Midland Group at the end of 2004.
Midland (2006)
Midland kept the Jordan name, and yellow livery, for one last season, but the change was implemented for 2006. It was not a successful period. There were several comings and goings within the senior hierarchy and while the Toyota-powered M16 was a more competitive package than the previous season, neither Tiago Monteiro nor Christijan Albers reached the points. It marked the first point-less campaign in the operation’s history and by mid-season speculation mounted that the Midland Group was seeking to offload the team. In September Spyker Cars acquired the team and the livery was tweaked for the final few rounds of the season.
Spyker (2007)
Spyker took over from Midland but its fortunes in 2007 were much the same, as rookie Adrian Sutil joined Albers. But Albers – who infamously exited the pits at Magny Cours with the fuel hose attached to the F8-VII – departed mid-season, leading to one of the most extraordinary one-off appearances in history. Markus Winkelhock was drafted in for the Nurburgring and an inspired decision to take on wet tyres at the start propelled him into a half-minute led when a downpour struck. He ultimately retired. Sutil scored Spyker’s sole point in the rain at Fuji, by which time Spyker had sold to a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, with Spyker-linked Michel Mol staying on as part of the board.
Force India (2008-2018)
Force India was uncompetitive through 2008 but stunned at Spa in 2009, taking a shock pole before recording second in the race, courtesy of Fisichella. Force India soon moved into the midfield, taking regular points, flicking between sixth and seventh overall, before rising to fifth in 2015. As Formula 1’s big-spenders seized control of the front-running spots Force India occasionally broke the hegemony by grabbing podiums, courtesy of Sergio Perez, before taking back-to-back fourths in the standings in 2016/17. But Mallya’s growing off-track financial issues stymied development and in mid-2018 the team enter administration, with a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll picking up the pieces.
Racing Point (2019-20)
The nature of the administrative process and takeover meant Stroll acquired the assets but not the team itself, and after a convoluted situation the FIA approved ‘Force India’ as a new entry for the Belgian GP. It was, to all intents and purposes, the same team as before. A stunning second-row lockout provided the platform for the ‘new’ team to finish seventh in the standings, having been stripped of its early 2018 points. For 2019 Lance Stroll, son of Lawrence, joined Perez, with the team officially changing its entry to Racing Point, which was always regarded as a short-term placeholder name. After a slow start, pinned on the hangover of its mid-2018 crisis, Racing Point rose to secure seventh overall.
Aston Martin (2021 onwards)
Stroll Sr.’s exploits in motorsport have included sponsorship, circuit ownership and investing heavily in his son’s career, so it was little surprise that when Aston Martin sought fresh capital the Canadian billionaire got involved. Stroll and his associates have acquired a 16.7 per cent stake in the company and as part of the agreement Racing Point will become the Aston Martin works team, effective from 2021. It should give Perez and Stroll some pretty nifty company cars.
