Paris (AFP)
"This year we want to be a solid fourth," said F1 Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer at the presentation of his 2020 single-seater, the RP20, on Monday at Mondsee (Austria). .
"We want to be closer to the top 3 than we have ever been in the past and lead the middle of the table. This year we want to take a step forward," said Szafnauer, quoted by the official website of F1.
"It’s not that simple, competition is getting stronger, the main team noted. McLaren did a very good job last year; Renault has a manufacturer and 650 employees behind it; and even Toro Rosso thanks to work of (his engine manufacturer) Honda. "
Fourth in 2016 and 2017 (the best ranking in its history), the team, which was called Force India, went through a slump in 2018 for lack of financial resources, before being bought in the summer by a consortium led by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. Since then, the renamed Racing Point team has collected two seventh places with the manufacturers in 2018 and 2019.
Last season, McLaren, fourth with 145 points, took the best in a very dense midfield, ahead of Renault (91 pts), Toro Rosso (85 pts), Racing Point (73 pts) and Alfa Romeo (57 pts).
In 2020, Racing Point will line up the same driver duo as the previous season: Mexican Sergio Pérez, 30, and Canadian Lance Stroll, 21, son of Lawrence.
The team however changes title sponsor, the sports betting platform on the Internet SportPesa having been replaced by the water technology group BWT, long-time partner of Force India and then of Racing Point.
From 2021, the British team will be called Aston Martin following the entry of Lawrence Stroll into the capital of the English manufacturer.
The 2020 Formula 1 season will begin on March 15 in Australia, after six days of pre-season testing (February 19-21 and February 26-28) at the Barcelona circuit.
© 2020 AFP