Aston Martin has ‘all the ingredients in place’ for more F1 victories

Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes the rebranded Formula 1 team can target more race wins in 2021. 

After clinching fourth place in the 2020 constructors’ championship and claiming its first F1 victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix, Racing Point has completed its transformation into the Aston Martin works squad ahead of the 2021 season. 

Having signed four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel from Ferrari to spearhead its new-look team alongside Lance Stroll, Szafnauer is setting high targets for the Silverstone outfit which has built a reputation for punching above its weight in F1 for a number of years now. 

“With a new name, committed shareholders, fresh investment, and an experienced team, we believe we have all the ingredients in place to compete for even more podiums and hopefully victories too,” he said. 

“It’s the start of a new journey and I can sense extra energy in the team, with a determination to push performance further than ever before.

“Combined with some of the most creative minds in the business, a true racers’ mentality, and the can-do spirit that has served us so well through the years, we have every reason to be excited about the future.”

Szafnauer admitted that managing the transition period from Racing Point to Aston Martin alongside a challenging 2020 campaign proved to be “a mammoth task”. 

“It’s easy to forget that we’ve been putting the groundwork in place for a brand-new era alongside a very challenging global setting, all the while balancing those tasks with our most successful F1 season to date – including a race win and multiple podium finishes en route to fourth place in the constructors’ championship,” he explained. 

“Everybody involved should be extremely proud of that achievement and I think it demonstrates that while this is a new team name and identity, we have retained the strong backbone that has guided us through some tough times to where we are today.

“While the challenge was once establishing ourselves as the most efficient team on the grid, now there’s an exciting opportunity to establish ourselves as a top team, while still maintaining that efficiency, in order to add an exciting chapter to the Aston Martin legacy.”