Otmar Szafnauer has confirmed his team won't be called Racing Point next season. The Pink Panthers entered administration during the summer but emerged when Lawerence Stroll bought the team. An announcement on the name change will be made closer to the start of the 2019 season.
The provisional entry list states the team will enter as Racing Point, but according to Szafnauer, this is just a temporary name. Racing Point Force India first competed in the Belgium Grand Prix where both Sergio Perez, and Esteban Ocon started on the second row.
The points accumulated by Sahara Force India were wiped clean forcing the Pink Panthers to press reset. But the reboot proved successful from the off and after the final race of the season they finished 7th with 52 points.
"It is just a placeholder to indicate future change which will take place and be announced before the 2019 season," Szafnauer told Autosport.
To make a name change, the team has to apply to the FIA and following a procedure already in place. Before the start of last season, rumours generated of a name change at that point in time, but it wasn't to be.