Aston Martin AMR1 sponsored by Mobil1 - 24 Hours Le Mans 1989
Car scale model kit in 1/24 scale manufactured by Profil24 (ref. P24122K)

Once the first unit of the AMR1, with chassis #01, was completed, a few days of testing were carried out at the Donington Park circuit with a view to the first race of the championship that would be held at the Suzuka circuit in Japan. Unfortunately, AMR1/01 suffered a serious accident during these tests, rendering it unusable, which caused, in the absence of other available chassis, that Aston Martin had to skip the first race. We had to wait for the Dijon-Prenois race to see the AMR1 in action, where it finished a disappointing 17th place.

The next race, although not scoring for the World Sport Prototype Championship, was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Aston Marin entered two cars with chassis #01 and #03. Unfortunately, the lack of power from its engine weighed down the AMR1 too much, especially on the long Hunaudières straight, and in practice they did not go beyond 32nd and 40th positions, out of the 56 who competed in the race. In the race, however, they defended themselves better, moving in the middle of the peloton, and although the AMR1/03 had to retire due to electrical problems, the AMR1/01 unit was able to complete the race reaching the finish line in 11th place overall.

Aston Martin was again absent from the following race, returning at the Brands Hatch race, where the AMR1/04 achieved its best result of the year, a fourth place in front of its public. The next race at the Nürburgring concluded with an eighth position in the standings. Race six of the championship was again to be held on British soil, and also at the circuit where Aston Martin had tested the car earlier in the year, at Donington Park. Aston Martin put two units on track, brand new chassis (number #5), completing the race in sixth and seventh position. The same units were also used in the following race at Spa-Francorchamps, where the AMR1/5, which featured a new 6.3-litre V8 engine, finished in seventh position, abandoning the other Aston Martin due to problems with its engine, which curiously was not the updated version. In the last race in Mexico, Aston Martin took only one unit, chassis #05, where they finished eighth.

The end result at the end of the season was a sixth place finish in the Teams' Championship, behind the Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Jaguar and Nissan factory teams, but at least ahead of the Toyota team.