Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer says he hopes the team is able to change names again for the 2019 F1 season following its rebranding from Force India.
The team changed owners at mid-season after going into administration. It appeared under the name Racing Point on the entry list for the 2019 F1 season, with all references to Force India removed.Szafnauer told the official F1 website the old name will definitely not be retained. “Force India, for obvious reasons, won’t be referenced any more,” he said. “It was the old entity and it had a strong link to the old ownership as well.
“I think it’s a natural change. Even the previous shareholders who were both Indian wanted to change the name from Force India. I think there’s a logical reason to do that, we just have to, from now until mid-January, pinpoint exactly what the name’s going to be.”
The Racing Point name could serve as a placeholder, Szafnauer indicated, until the team decides on an alternative.
“We’ll only change again if we find a better name to change to. So it could very well be that we stay as Racing Point. That still needs Formula 1 Commission approval which should happen in mid-January.
“There’s still an opportunity to go to the Formula 1 Commission with a different name. Unless there’s something better then it could very well be Racing Point. I hope we do find something better.”
The question of what name the team runs under in 2019 is also bound up in the ongoing dispute over its claim to a share of F1’s prize money.
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Jere (@jerejj)
12th December 2018, 13:38
Here’s a suggestion: Force Canada.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
13th December 2018, 11:26
What about ‘Ernie Els”? Just see if you can just steal his name, whether he’d sue or feel complimented. Or just ‘Margaret – Team’? It’s just a name, eventually whatever they choose will become the name of the thing, ‘Oasis’ is probably a terrible band name, but nobody thinks of a pond, with a tree and some sand.
Are Haiku’s banned in team names?
“The Dalai Lama, wore Bob Marley’s Pyjama’s, Buffalo Lama! – Team”
They could sell those Rastafarian hats as merch, BWT could wear robes and explain Water Technology.
The livery would never looks as good as the Martini one though, it’d be too ‘busy’ I imagine.
ColdFly (@)
12th December 2018, 13:43
The let me repeat my proposal as well: Jordan GP
ColdFly (@)
12th December 2018, 14:01
Allow me to be a bit creative instead:
– Sara, 4th in the air
– Shine (reply if you uncover the link)
– North of Indiana
– the team formally known as Force India
Mark Thomson (@melthom)
12th December 2018, 18:39
Rich Kid Racing
Antz (@antznz)
13th December 2018, 5:23
Love it!
Pedro Andrade
12th December 2018, 14:07
Lawrence, this.
(I know you read RaceFans comments)
Ben Needham (@ben-n)
12th December 2018, 13:44
I don’t have a huge issue with the name Racing Point… is it really that bad!? Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from the best thing I’ve ever heard, but as a place holder they could have done worse.
I just hope it isn’t something like “Stroll GP” or anything sponsor related. It’d be good to have a really great new name in the vein of Shadow or Arrows… but I can’t see it happening.
Asanator (@asanator)
12th December 2018, 15:19
Agreed, Racing Point sounds just so……..GP2 (Sorry F2).
BMF66
12th December 2018, 23:20
Arrows is no better than Racing Point. Pull your head out of the past.
BlackJackFan
13th December 2018, 3:11
“Pull your head out of the past.”
Intelligent contribution to communication – not…!
Shimks (@shimks)
15th December 2018, 12:05
Great White North Racing
Kevin Amery (@k-l-waster)
17th December 2018, 15:51
+1
MaliceCooper
12th December 2018, 13:54
Stroll Force One, Force Lightning, Stroll’s Racing Point, Daddy-Oh Hep Cats Racing Squad, Team Awesome, Silver Stone Racing? Or just name it after a bunch of sponsors and car parts.
Neil (@neilosjames)
12th December 2018, 14:11
Part of the reason I don’t like the name ‘Racing Point’ is that it doesn’t seem to mean anything. I think of the word ‘racing’ to be redundant as part of a motorsport team name (they’re all racing), so the only distinctive part of the name is ‘Point’. And that’s just a… pointless word that might as well have been randomly picked from a dictionary. It doesn’t come across as a brand name, or a product, or a team – it’s just ‘point’.
Or perhaps I’m just a snob.
ColdFly (@)
12th December 2018, 14:34
What’s your view on Racing Lines for a weekly blog/article on racing related issues? @neilosjames
– All journalists write ‘lines’; seems redundant.
– and as it’s on a F1 racing site, the word ‘racing’ is not distinctive either.
We just ruined the name of @dieterrencken‘s weekly article/blog ;)
Dieter Rencken (@dieterrencken)
12th December 2018, 17:06
Actually, it’s RacingLines…so you haven’t spoilt anything :)
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
14th December 2018, 19:27
On the other hand, Dieter’s column is also a ambiguity, because racing drivers (about which he sometimes writes) find Racing Lines indispensable…
On the third hand (bear with me), Racing Point references the Stroll connection without being too in-yer-face about it. It’s blunt, but not that sort of blunt.
nase
12th December 2018, 14:44
@neilosjames
If you’re a snob, then so am I.
I, for one, already disliked the ‘Force India’ name. What’s wrong with names that consist of a single word, or, if you insist on cramming more information into your team’s name, using an acronym? You can use as many pre- and suffixes as you like, call it a ‘Scuderia’, a ‘Team’, ‘GP’, ‘Racing’, “Mission Winsoonish’, no one uses them in their everyday speech anyway. But when you’re making people use more than one word to refer to your team, even colloquially, you’re being obnoxious.
Dieter Rencken (@dieterrencken)
12th December 2018, 17:12
The ‘India’ is obvious, but Mallya added ‘Force’ to the team name as he planned a FI team logo similar to the F1 logo, but Bernie blocked that one fast…
mog
13th December 2018, 1:04
“Point” has many meanings, such as a point scored, a point made, a point reached, or a characteristic or purpose of something i.e. this team is characterised by racing. The latter meaning is what most interpret the name to mean of course.
What is interesting is the correlation with Lance’s name. A “point” being a sharp end of something, and Lance being a sharp pointed weapon. So its possible they named the team after the person it is going to centre on, as well as their intention to be at the sharp end of F1.5. Its almost like veiled belligerence in the face of the scorning F1 fan base and maybe paddock.
Personally I think its quite clever and layered, as good business names should be. That said, I agree with Omar.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
12th December 2018, 14:22
I hope they will change it. Racing Point sounds like a warehouse where you go to change tires and fix exhaust.
I agree with @ben-n, a name like Arrows would be cool.
Christopher (@twiinzspeed)
12th December 2018, 20:04
How about “Fourth India”. :)
nase
12th December 2018, 14:28
Racing Dirty (They see me strollin’, they hatin’)
Asanator (@asanator)
12th December 2018, 15:21
LMAO
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
14th December 2018, 19:29
If Haas hasn’t suggested that one to the team yet, it probably should. (Won’t happen, though – I doubt it would meet Otmar’s definition of “a better name”. Even “Chamillionaire” has a better chance of being the team’s new name).
Charlie
12th December 2018, 15:02
Munsters Racing
Wouldn’t take much makeup to get Sergio looking like Eddie and Lance looking like Herman Munster!
GeeMac (@geemac)
12th December 2018, 15:17
Phone up David Brabham and see if he’ll let you use the Brabham name Otmar…
BlackJackFan
13th December 2018, 3:15
Oh no…! Not this…!!! ;-)
Asanator (@asanator)
12th December 2018, 15:23
Phoenix……rising from the ashes of Force India
Dani B. Molina (@esmiz)
12th December 2018, 15:25
I think Szafnauer are shouting to the world “Hey for a few millions of bucks we have a opportunity for you, put the name of your company / brand in F1!”. If this is not the case, I don’t understand so many doubts with the name.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
12th December 2018, 15:59
“Lead Boot Lance F1” sponsored by Nike who can produce a special range of brightly coloured sports boots that fall apart under pressure?
(I don’t think that count’s me out of the “Give Lance a chance” challenge does it? – it is Nike I am having a go at …. :( )
nase
12th December 2018, 16:10
@nullapax
First the tidepod challenge, now this. What’s next? The ‘Don’t dump on Trump’ challenge? ‘Don’t criticize Mao just nao’? ‘Stalin wasn’t that appalin’?
James Brickles (@brickles)
12th December 2018, 16:23
Interesting fact – Lawrence Stroll owns the Mont Tremblant circuit, so he could relate it to the new team name.
Some ideas…
Namerow Racing
Gluch Racing
Jovite Racing
Tremblant with fear over how much my son will be destroyed by his obviously better teammate.
Mark Thomson (@melthom)
12th December 2018, 18:53
MOJO Racing
magon4 (@magon4)
12th December 2018, 16:31
I liked the interview.
When he was asked about best / fastest drivers he worked with, I was almost antecipating him mentioning Adrian Sutil, which he did. Sutil was really a pretty fast and sometimes spectacular driver…
MtlRacer (@mtlracer)
12th December 2018, 19:22
If we’re all suggesting fantasy names: Wolf Racing II
All they need to do is go out and win their “first” race.
kpcart
12th December 2018, 19:47
-point2point f1
-StrollGP
-Rich Energy Racing Point F1
-Rich Energy Stroll GP
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
12th December 2018, 21:57
Lance Point Racing
Force Nepotism F1
DBR F1 (Daddy’s Boy Racing)
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
13th December 2018, 1:34
Tommy Stroll F1
J-Canada
13th December 2018, 5:32
Racy McRaceface!
Maciek (@maciek)
13th December 2018, 6:02
Well, since pot is legal in Canada now…. Blunt Force?