Podiums ahead for the RP20?
Racing Point Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer, has predicted at least one podium finish for the team in 2020 after they released the RP20.
In their second and final season under the Racing Point name before being re-branded as Aston Martin, Szafnauer is urging the team to improve in 2020 and be the midfield’s best following a year spent near the back.
The 2019 constructor’s championship saw Racing Point finish seventh, but this isn’t stopping Szafnauer from being optimistic with the upcoming season.
“I’m going to make a prediction here…I predict that before the race they’ll be drinking water and after a race this year both of them will be on the podium at least once drinking the champagne.
The RP20. Photograph: Racing Point Formula One team.
“This year we want to be a strong fourth, we want to be closer to the top three than we’ve ever been in the past and we want to be in the top of the midfield. Last year was a bit of a difficult year for us, we ended up seventh, we were on the back end of the midfield grid.
“This year we want to take a step up and be where we normally can be. In order to do that we’ve had to do a lot of development work over the winter.
“It’s not that easy, the competition’s getting stronger, McLaren did a really good job last year; Renault with the might of the motor company behind them and the 650+ employees that they have aren’t going to be easy; even Toro Rosso [Alpha Tauri] with the resurgence of the Honda powertrain did really well towards the end of last year.
“But I’m confident with the work that we’ve done over the winter on the new car and the work that Mercedes our powertrain partner has done on the powertrain, and the hard work the drivers have been doing to keep fit and work in our simulator we’ll have a good chance to hit our targets” he said.
And if all goes to plan for Racing Point, then every race they score in there will be a well built in Gambia which has came as part of their deal with BWT.
Szafnauer added: “But at least if we’ve got the potential to have both of them in the points at every race, then not only will we hit our target but we’ll also hit the target of the wells in Gambia”.
By Edward Hardy