Racing Point target top three by end of Aston Martin transition

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer says his squad’s goals are in line with the rampant expansion plans and believes the team must be competitive enough to fight for wins and podiums over the next three years.

Following its revolution from being forced into administration as Force India to become Racing Point, the Silverstone-based team is undergoing huge developments after being purchased by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll.

The team will become the Aston Martin works squad in F1 from 2021 with a rapid expansion programme underway including developing its current factory and growing its team personnel numbers.

With its rapid growth, planned in line with the incoming F1 cost cap, the team’s targets are also ramping up with boss Szafnauer laying out a three-year plan by the end of which he wants to see it matching the performance levels of the current big three teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

“Our goal is to break into the top three in that time and be competitive at that level and have a chance at winning races and be regular podium finishers,” Szafnauer told Formula1.com.

“Even if we’re not top three, say the top three become top four and we’re part of that, or even top five and someone else joins us, but we’re all competing at that level where the top three currently are, that would be a success for us.

“It’s probably a three-year plan for us. The factory will take a couple of years, and hiring the right people takes a couple of years, and during that transition phase, you won’t be at a 100% at where you want to be until you get there, and then you have got to work together.

“So it’s a three-year plan, but every year we should be getting better, we should never take a step backwards.”

Racing Point’s commitment to climbing the F1 pecking order has clearly convinced Sergio Perez as he signed a three-year deal to keep him at the team until the end of 2022 when the team aims to be a regular front-runner. Lance Stroll is also expected to be a long-term fixture in its driver line-up given his father’s involvement in transforming the team.

Last year Racing Point finished seventh in the F1 world constructors’ championship but during the highs of its Force India era the team finished a comfortable fourth place in the 2017 F1 standings as the midfield leaders behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.