Aston Martin now has "all the ingredients" to fight for victories - Otmar Szafnauer

Aston Martin

Aston Martin now has "all the ingredients" to fight for victories - Szafnauer

Racing Point has rebranded to Aston Martin for the coming season

Sam Hall

Wednesday 13 January 2021 12:35 Updated: 12:41

Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has stated the newly rebranded team has "all the ingredients" to fight for podiums and "hopefully victories".

Labelling the transition of Racing Point to Aston Martin as a rebranding exercise may be unfair as the change has resulted in fresh investment, a superstar name joining in four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, and eventually the opening of a new factory.

With the new tools at his disposal, however, Szafnauer has high expectations for the future.

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"With a new name, committed shareholders, fresh investment, and an experienced team, we believe we have all the ingredients in place to compete for even more podiums and hopefully victories too," said Szafnauer.

"By the end of 2022, we’ll also have a fantastic new factory at Silverstone, giving the team the space and infrastructure to realise our ambitions.

"We have a new title sponsor in Cognizant with the expertise to add value in all areas of our IT operations and make a valuable contribution to our performance on-track.

"It’s the start of a new journey and I can sense an extra energy in the team, with a determination to push performance further than ever before."

Last year, Racing Point took its first race victory courtesy of Sergio Perez in the Sakhir Grand Prix.

With the Silverstone-based outfit renowned for "punching above our weight", according to Szafnauer, he is hoping that can continue in its new guise.

“We’ve had almost a year of preparation to reach this point and we’ve been thrilled to see the positive reaction since we revealed our new identity as the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team," added Szafnauer.

"Representing such an iconic brand is a huge privilege for every member of the team. It might sound daunting, but we’ve been competing in Formula 1 for 30 years [under various names], winning races and taking podiums along the way – often against the odds.

"We’ve earned a well-deserved reputation for punching above our weight, so we’re confident we can do the Aston Martin name proud right from the get-go."