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Aston Martin F1 Sponsor Gears Up for Epic Land-Speed Record Attempt
Highlights
- JCB returns to Bonneville for new hydrogen land speed record
- Wing Commander Andy Green to drive the hydrogen-powered Hydromax
- Hydromax features two hydrogen combustion engines, 1,600 bhp total
- FIA to officially oversee the record attempt at Bonneville
- JCB invested £100 million in hydrogen program over five years
- Project highlights sustainable technology and British engineering innovation
JCB will return to the Bonneville Salt Flats this year to pursue a hydrogen land speed record, with FIA oversight and Wing Commander Andy Green confirmed as driver.
The attempt is JCB’s first major record programme in two decades, following Dieselmax’s 2006 benchmark that redefined diesel performance and underlined the company’s appetite for engineering-led storytelling.
Its new Hydromax car adopts hydrogen internal combustion rather than fuel cells, using twin production-derived engines to target 1,600bhp from a 32‑foot chassis designed for stability and packaging efficiency.
Green, the only person to break the sound barrier on land, reunites with JCB after steering Dieselmax to 350.092mph in 2006, a diesel record that still stands.
Hydromax delivers 1,600bhp via two hydrogen combustion engines based on production units.
The FIA will formally officiate the runs, placing Hydromax within a lineage that spans Bluebird, ThrustSSC and Dieselmax, and ensuring compliance on categories, timing, and safety at Bonneville.
The record programme proceeds under full FIA supervision at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
JCB frames the project as technology demonstration and brand statement, aligning with its Aston Martin F1 sponsorship and motorsport’s broader sustainability narrative ahead of the sport’s 2026 regulatory reset.
Development begins in the UK before a planned debut at Bonneville SpeedWeek, with data from early runs shaping aero, tyre, and power calibration decisions ahead of any maximum-effort attempts.
The programme draws on a £100 million hydrogen investment over five years, creating a pathway from prototype dyno work to track deployment and de-risking components for future industrial applications.
JCB has committed £100 million to hydrogen development over the past five years.
FIA deputy president for sport Malcolm Wilson positions the attempt as continuity and progression, arguing record programmes remain effective testbeds for material science, control systems, and reliability validation.
Chairman Anthony Bamford casts Hydromax as a British engineering showcase, intended to prove durability and repeatability for hydrogen combustion under sustained load rather than a single peak-power flourish.
Success would deliver official records under FIA regulations and, more importantly, a reference point for hydrogen ICE viability at extreme duty cycles, informing future sustainable high-performance projects.
Visual Summary
FIA
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Attempting ?
New Hydrogen Land Speed Record
New Hydrogen Land Speed Record
Hydromax
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1,600 hp
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32 ft
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1,600 hp
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32 ft
?✈️ Wing Commander Andy Green OBE
The only human to break the sound barrier on land returns,
aiming to break new ground—now with hydrogen propulsion.
Dieselmax • 350.092 mph • 2006 • Unbroken record ?
The only human to break the sound barrier on land returns,
aiming to break new ground—now with hydrogen propulsion.
Dieselmax • 350.092 mph • 2006 • Unbroken record ?
Dieselmax Record Hydromax Launch
Years of innovation span the distance
⚡
More than a record—a leap for green speed engineering
More than a record—a leap for green speed engineering
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Pioneering hydrogen internal combustion in extreme motorsport
Pioneering hydrogen internal combustion in extreme motorsport
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Setting the stage for sustainable future record chasers
Setting the stage for sustainable future record chasers
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JCB, FIA, and Aston Martin unite for a new page in racing history—where record speed meets a hydrogen-powered future.
JCB, FIA, and Aston Martin unite for a new page in racing history—where record speed meets a hydrogen-powered future.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
