Paul Jeffrey
Premium
The team formally known as Force India recently became Racing Point - but is now set for yet more change before the new season next year.
Having changed hands from the previous Vijaya Mallya reign as Force India Formula One Team, the Silverstone based outfit signed up for the 2019 F1 season under the less than inspired Racing Point title, however it looks like name that no one likes will disappear before the cars turn up at Melbourne... although we don't know yet know what the former Jordan / Midland / Spyker / Force India team will be called for the new season.
With Lawrence Stroll and a consortium of businessmen having taken control of the outfit mid-season, it was something of a forgone conclusion that the outfit would run under a new identity for the following season. In a move to distance themselves from the previous ownership structure, the team remerged at Spa under the Racing Point Force India title, a name that at the time was explained as merely a placeholder until further plans could be developed.
However with the Formula One entry list for 2019 having had to be lodged by Friday last week, it emerged that the team would be registered under the Racing Point identity for next season, leaving many fans to question the rather uninspired new identity of what has always been one of the more flamboyant outfits in modern Grand Prix racing.
According to Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer, Racing Point is merely a placeholder in order to satisfy the new season sign up criteria, with changes planned for the team before the season begins on March 25th.
“It’s not the permanent name, just something we stuck onto the entry until we go for a permanent name change. It won’t be Racing Point,” Szafnauer told Reuters.
Szafnauer wouldn't be pressed on exactly when the team will reveal their new identity, however it is expected the new look squad will get a public airing around the time of the 2019 car launch, usually late January or early February in order to be prepared for the all important pre-season testing schedule.
Unlike in previous years, a change of team and chassis name isn't as difficult to accomplish as was once the case, with just permission needing to be granted by the sports governing body, the FIA.
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