Racing Point aiming to be "at the very top" of F1 in near future

SportPesa Racing Point F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer has revealed the intentions of the team are to get to "the very top" of the F1 standings in the near future, as the new financial backing led by Lawrence Stroll should propel the team forward.

Force India, which is no longer the team's name, was always known for being competitive despite having the smallest budget on the grid. The Pink Panthers finished fourth, best of the rest, in both 2016 and 2017. 

In the summer of 2018, the team's ownership changed, with Stroll taking over among others. A big cash injection could see the team, which presented its car earlier today, making a rise up the table.

“After months of hard work behind-the-scenes it’s incredibly exciting to come to Canada and present our new identity," Szafnauer said at the unveiling of Racing Point's 2019 challenger, the RP19.

"The long-term aim is to take this team to the very top of the sport. We are putting the building blocks in place and it’s important we take a good step forward in 2019 as we begin this new era.

"We want to be fighting for podiums on merit and aiming for a strong top four finish in the championship.”

That last part could be a problem. Teams like Renault, Haas and Alfa Romeo Racing have exactly that goal, which can make things very interesting indeed. Can Racing Point edge out the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen, two proven winners?