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In the second episode of the series devoted to the history of F1 teams, we visit Silverstone and the headquarters of Aston Martin F1, formerly the base of Jordan, Midland, Spyker, the friendly Force India team, and then Racing Point.
Just 30 km from the hallowed bends of Silverstone lies a cluster of motorsport workshops that have become the beating heart of Formula 1's “Silicon Valley.” From Milton Keynes to Brackley and Enstone, the region has given rise to a series of teams that, despite modest budgets, have captured the imagination of fans around the world.
Jordan Grand Prix – the Irish outsider (1991-2005) Eddie Jordan, buoyed by his triumphs in Formula 3 and F3000, where he won the 1989 title with Jean Alesi, turned his attention to the premier class in 1991. The first car, the green Jordan 191, scored a few points and even gave young Michael Schumacher his Grand Prix debut at Spa-Francorchamps, where a promising seventh place in qualifying was cut short by a retirement.
The team quickly built a reputation for strong performances. In 1995, a double podium finish in Canada placed Jordan behind Jean Alesi's Ferrari, in a symbolic nod to its roots. Giancarlo Fisichella kept the momentum going, narrowly missing victory at Hockenheim in 1997 before a puncture robbed him of the win.
Glory in the rain came at Spa in 1998, when Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher secured Jordan's first victory and a one-two finish. Two years later, Heinz-Harald Frentzen pushed the team to the brink of the championship, winning the wet races at Magny-Cours and Monza. A pole position at the Nürburgring followed, but a mechanical failure ended his title hopes. The loss of Honda's support and a single victory in Brazil (2003) marked the beginning of a decline that culminated in the team's takeover by a Russian consortium in 2005. Midland, then Spyker (2006-2007) The Jordan name disappeared, replaced by Midland. The new Silverstone-based team failed to reverse the trend; drivers Thiago Monteiro and Christijan Albers were unable to lift the car out of mid-table. In 2006, Spyker, the Dutch sports car manufacturer, bought the team and ran a single-season campaign with Toyota engines. The highlight was the single point scored by Adrian Sutil at Fuji in 2007, after Vitantonio Liuzzi was disqualified. A touch of daring came at the Nürburgring when Markus Winkelhock made a pit stop to change his wet tires on the formation lap, briefly taking the lead as the rain poured down. A red flag ended the suspense, but the moment remains a cult memory of a team that never enjoyed lasting success. Force India: a decade of living beyond its means (2008-2018) Vijay Mallya's Indian consortium relaunched the Silverstone base as Force India in 2008. The new livery made its debut with Adrian Sutil's strong performance in Monaco, where he held off Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari until a late collision. The team's only pole position came in 2009, when Giancarlo Fisichella topped the starting grid in Belgium, and Sergio Pérez added several podium finishes over the years, proving that smart engineering could compete with wealthier opponents.
Mallya's financial mismanagement and internal friction, particularly between Pérez and Esteban Ocon, led the team into bankruptcy. Lawrence Stroll stepped in to rescue the company and renamed it Racing Point. Racing Point – from privateer to quasi-works team (2018-present) The Racing Point badge made its first appearance at the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix. Stroll retained the fundamental philosophy of Force India but replaced Ocon with his son, Lance, sparking controversy over the young Canadian's rapid rise. The team's best result that year was a narrowly missed podium finish by Lance at Hockenheim. The year 2020 saw the arrival of the highly controversial RP20, a car that bore a striking resemblance to the dominant Mercedes W10. Nicknamed the “Pink Mercedes,” it demonstrated that the Silverstone workshop was still capable of producing competitive machines, even if they weren't destined to win the championship.
Through Jordan, Midland, Spyker, Force India, and now Racing Point, the modest factories surrounding Silverstone have repeatedly defied expectations, turning limited resources into moments that still resonate in the paddock. When Aston Martin announced its return to Formula 1, the excitement was not just about a new badge on the starting grid, but signaled a strategic overhaul that would redefine the team's identity. Behind the shiny branding lies a surprisingly strong 2020 campaign: four podium finishes, a pole position secured by Lance Stroll in Turkey, and Sergio Pérez's stunning victory in Sakhir, which reminded everyone that the team could still fight for wins.
The summer of 2020 marked a real turning point. For the first time since its creation, the Silverstone-based team earned the right to become a manufacturer-backed team for the 2021 season. This promotion, made possible by Lawrence Stroll's investment, transformed a project initially designed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans into a full-fledged Formula 1 team. The transition from privateer to factory team has already begun to bear fruit, paving the way for what many consider to be a new era of competitiveness. The rest, as they say, is history.
