Aston Martin hoping to "create diamond" from added pressure to perform

Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes the increased pressure on the team following its return to Formula 1 after a 61-year absence now needs to be channelled in the right way.

The Silverstone-based team has become a magnet of interest since completing its rebranding over the winter from Racing Point to the famous British marque.

That interest has in turn seemingly ramped up the pressure on all inside the team to now deliver and ensure such a name can live up to the hype.

"We have got to make sure the pressure we exert on the system is helpful and drives us in the right direction," said Szafnauer.

"I think there is another team principal I heard this from and I tend to believe it: pressure can either create diamonds or burst pipes.

"We have got to make sure the pressure we put on ourselves to achieve will create that diamond that we are searching for."

A takeover of the team two and a half years ago by owner Lawrence Stroll and his consortium has resulted in it becoming a consistent force in the midfield.

As Aston Martin, there are now hopes it can build and deliver a sustained challenge to the top two teams in Mercedes and Red Bull.

Szafnauer insists, however, the team has had to live with pressure throughout its history given its former incarnations as Jordan, Midland, Spyker and then Force India.

"As a group of racers and having that special DNA at the team, we have always put pressures on ourselves to compete to the highest levels with the resources that we have," added Szafnauer.

"In the past, we had other pressures, we had financial pressures and times we couldn't even put an entire car together but we had to go racing and do the best we could with it.

"This is just a different type of pressure but we are absolutely used to it."

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