The Racing Point F1 Team often referred to as Racing Point and known in its final incarnation as BWT Racing Point F1 Team, was a British Formula One team and constructor that ran on the grid between 2019 and 2020.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Lance Stroll: Stroll joined Racing Point in 2019, alongside his father, Lawrence Stroll, who was a major investor and part of the consortium that acquired the Force India team. Despite facing challenges, especially in qualifying sessions, Stroll contributed to the team’s performance with points finishes and was instrumental in securing podiums for Racing Point, including a first-ever pole position for the team at the Turkish Grand Prix in 2020.
Sergio Pérez: Pérez was a vital part of Racing Point, having been with the team since its Force India days. He led the team’s charge, consistently scoring points and achieving podium finishes. His remarkable win at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix was Racing Point’s first victory as a constructor.
Nico Hülkenberg: Though not a regular driver for Racing Point, Hülkenberg played a pivotal role as a substitute driver in 2020. He stepped in for Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll when they could not race after testing positive for COVID-19.
Previous Name: Racing Point Force India F1 Team
Next Name: Aston Martin
The team was owned by Racing Point UK, headquartered in Silverstone, and was initially known as Racing Point Force India F1 Team before the team rebranded in February 2019. At that time, the team dropped the “Force India” constructor name that it had adopted for the latter part of the 2018 season.
Racing Point made its competitive debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, and during the 2020 season, the team’s driver lineup remained the same with Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll. The team underwent another transformation during this period, emerging as Aston Martin for the 2021 Formula One season.
The Racing Point F1 Team can trace its history to the Jordan Grand Prix team, which debuted in Formula One in 1991. Jordan enjoyed relative success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with a highlight in 1999 when the team secured two race wins and clinched 3rd place in the World Constructors’ Championship. However, a subsequent decline in performance led to the team’s sale to the Midland Group in 2005, which resulted in its rebranding as Midland F1 Racing for the 2006 season. Unfortunately, this iteration of the team did not achieve notable success and failed to earn any points.
The team’s lacklustre performance continued under new ownership when it was acquired by Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker Cars and towards the end of the 2006 season was rebranded as Spyker F1 for the 2007 season. Despite marginal improvements, including scoring a point at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix (the team’s first in over two years), Spyker F1 was sold to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya.
Still based in Silverstone, the team underwent another transformation and was renamed Force India for the 2008 season. Over its decade-long presence in Formula One, Force India achieved notable results, including a pole position at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, six podium finishes, and consecutive 4th-place finishes in the World Constructors’ Championship in 2016 and 2017. However, financial and legal issues faced by owner Mallya during the 2018 season led to the team entering administration. The assets of Force India were then acquired by Racing Point UK, led by Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll. This acquisition marked the end of the original Jordan Grand Prix entry in 1991, as the team’s F1 entry was not transferable. For the remainder of the 2018 season, the team competed under the name Racing Point Force India before officially becoming Racing Point for the 2019 season.
Following Lawrence Stroll’s acquisition of a 16.7% share in Aston Martin, the team rebranded and emerged as the Aston Martin F1 Team for the 2021 season.
Racing Point Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 2019 Australian Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 38 |
| Constructors’ Championships | 0 |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 1 |
| Podiums | 4 |
| Points | 268 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Racing Point Constructor Championship Results
| Year | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | RP19 | Sergio Pérez Lance Stroll | 73 | 7th |
| 2020 | RP20 | Sergio Pérez Lance Stroll Nico Hülkenberg | 195 | 4th |
