Sergio Perez believes Racing Point’s new car will give him the chance to achieve his best-ever season in Formula 1.
The team started last season with a car which was under-developed following their financial problems in 2018. But they steadily improved over the course of the year.Speaking at the launch of the team’s 2020 livery, which was presented on a show car, Perez believes they can sustain their momentum from last year and compete to be “best of the rest” in 2020.
“It will be very tough competition out there,” he said in response to a question from RaceFans. “But I’m sure we can fight for that. I think we had a very strong second half of the season so I see no reason why we cannot start strong in Melbourne this year.”
He said he has “big targets” for his seventh year at the team formerly known as Force India. “I really hope that this will be the best ever season in Formula 1 I beat all the other years in terms of results. And that will be our target for this season.”
[smr2020test]Last year Perez signed a new deal with Racing Point, which is due to become the Aston Martin works operation next year. He says the team are in a strong position for the future.
“I knew that this team, what [it] was capable [of] in the past with a big lack of resources, and I knew what was going behind the lines. Next year we’re becoming a factory team. And also, what’s going on right now in terms of budget, how are things falling in place.
“We’ve already shown last year what we were able to do with, I’d say, a start of a difficult year. So I think this is the year where we have to make a good step. I think everyone is very confident right now but I hope after Barcelona we’re still very confident.”
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Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
17th February 2020, 15:42
Podium contender.
Jere (@jerejj)
17th February 2020, 16:20
@peartree On an occasion when top-team drivers drop out, yes, could be.
rpiian (@rpiian)
18th February 2020, 13:31
Bold strategy for Stroll, always a strong possibility for scrappy Checo!
BasCB (@bascb)
17th February 2020, 16:24
Who knows how well the team will do, competition for being “best of the rest” is stiff with Renault hoping to give Daniel a car he can get somewhere, McLaren doing their best to build on last year, Alfa Romeo hopefull they can step up (with hopefully both drivers now being up to speed) and mini Bulls also being in there at times, Haas wanting to find form again etc.
But I do like the livery a lot better this year, it looks far more clean and focussed. And Perez is sure to have some really good races, I guess Stroll will get his 1-2 strong races in again too. So overall, looking forward to seeing pink in the top ten :-)
Only Facts!
17th February 2020, 16:33
Nowhere to hide now. Similar to McLaren 2018 or Renault 2019.
But I’m assuming RP are full steam on 2021 chassis, as everyone else. Or will they keep pouring resources till the year end to try to consolidate 4th place?
It will be a game of who blinks first. I don’t recall who but I guess a team principal already said that.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
17th February 2020, 18:22
RP is full steam ahead on a factory upgrade, so I suspect part of the 2021 steam might not be activated until said upgrade is ready. Can’t do an upgrade in a place that doesn’t exist yet.
KaIIe (@kaiie)
17th February 2020, 19:55
Interesting detail on the “sponsor wall”: the name Racing Point does not appear, but the word point is, well, a point or some circular thingy. If you read the team’s title it says “BWT Racing Formula One Team”. A media department trying to be too clever or are they trying to hide the team’s identity?
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
17th February 2020, 22:02
But is it a point? Or a point surrounded by a circle? Was that their target?
Peyton
18th February 2020, 7:24
Apparently that is the way they will get around “name change problem” for the next year, the car is literally named racing with a visual dot or a “point” in the name so when they change the name next year they can just change the sponsor and become Aston Martin Racing ●