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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Racing Point RP20 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Sakhir at Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Giuseppe Cacace – Pool/Getty Images)
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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Racing Point RP20 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Sakhir at Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Giuseppe Cacace – Pool/Getty Images)
The newly branded Aston Martin F1 team head into their first F1 season after 6 decades with a great deal of optimism. However, like last year, the team will face stiff competition from their mid-field rivals. Nevertheless, team boss Otmar Szafnauer is confident that the team can achieve its target of a ‘best of the rest’ finish.
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Speaking of his team’s chances in 2021 and on what they need to improve on in this campaign, Otmar Szafnauer said (translated by Google), “We want to start the season like we left off the last. We had the third fastest car over long distances. But we only finished fourth behind McLaren. We were unlucky.
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Lance Stroll of Canada driving the (18) Racing Point RP20 Mercedes during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Giuseppe Cacace – Pool/Getty Images)
“For us, it will be about smoothing out the downward swings. We need more consistency in scoring. If we can do that, we can become third. That has to be our realistic goal.”
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Aston Martin boss hopes for a bright start in 2021, believes 2022 is much harder to predict
Szafnauer hopes that his team can start off positively and put some space between themselves and their rivals early on. In that regard, rival driver Lando Norris’ statements may make Szafnauer happy.
He said, “I think we should get out of the starting blocks quickly and fight for podium places. If things go our way, like in Bahrain or Turkey, we should be able to put the car on pole position and have the chance of a few wins.”
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BARCELONA, SPAIN – Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Racing Point talks in a press conference during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Andy Hone/Pool via Getty Images)
The 2022 season will see the introduction of new aerodynamic regulations. These regulations are ideally supposed to help close the gap between Mercedes and the rest and treat fans to competitive races. However, Szafnauer still displays caution about the effect of the new regulations.
He said, “Anything beyond the season is much harder to predict. The rules will change profoundly. The cars will be completely different. Completely different from what we are used to. Nobody can say who will come around with the right solution. We hope, and are confident, that we will do a good job in 2022 and beyond.”
The Silverstone-based team certainly seems well placed to out-do their rivals on paper. But F1 is seldom about having strong drivers and a strong package, a lot more factors come into play. Who do you think will triumph in a tricky mid-field battle this year?
Also Read: Aston Martin F1 Boss Details Sebastian Vettel’s Interaction With Team
