Szafnauer wants to be competing at the front of the midfield

Racing Point are the new name on the grid after they rebranded from Force India following the takeover of Lawrence Stroll but team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes it will still be a year of transition for the team.

Lawrence Stroll took over the Force India team after they went into administration and they have since rebranded to Racing Point. Stroll also made the controversial yet inevitable decision to sign his son, Lance Stroll from Williams leaving Esteban Ocon without a seat whilst Sergio Perez remains with the team.

With all the changes surrounding the team, their CEO Otmar Szafnauer insists it is a year of transition for the Silverstone based team: “We begin 2019 with a new identity and new energy,” Szafnauer said in an interview on Crash.net.

“We recognise this won’t be an easy task because it’s shaping up to be one of the closest midfields we have seen for a long time – with just a few tenths separating a handful of teams,” added Szafnauer.