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Win justifies Racing Point investment – Stroll
Racing Point team owner Lawrence Stroll says Sergio Perez’s shock win at the Sakhir Grand Prix illustrates why he invested in the team in the first place.
Perez led home Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll as Racing Point finished first and third to move back into third in the constructors’ championship. It was Perez’s first victory, and also the first for the team in any guise stretching back to 2003 –when Giancarlo Fisichella won the Brazilian Grand Prix for Jordan – and Stroll said the achievement repays the faith he had in Racing Point.
“When we took over this team, we knew we were taking over an operation that has always punched above its weight and delivered on a much smaller budget than our rivals,” Stroll said. “The result isn’t a huge surprise considering this team in the past was able to deliver P4 in the Constructors’ Championship in back-to-back seasons.
“When I arrived, it was about giving the team the funding it deserved and working with the outstanding core staff to allow the team to continue to flourish. The 400-plus members of the team can be hugely proud of their efforts and we’ll continue expanding to ensure this outfit continues to be competitive and in the hope that we celebrate more days like (Sunday) in the future!
“Checo drove an exceptional race and he has been a hugely important part of the team’s history, while Lance also drove very well to ensure the double podium.”
Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said the work the team did behind the scenes after both cars retired in the first race in Bahrain should not be underestimated.
“Both sides of the garage did a superb job and Lance drove incredibly well to get P3,” Szafnauer said. “It’s another podium for Lance and he’s still a young driver who's constantly improving. Checo’s win puts him back in P4 in the drivers’ championship, which I think speaks volumes. With his and Lance’s points, we are in better shape for the constructors’ championship battle for third with one race remaining.
“It has been a huge team effort and we really demonstrated that this week. After a really tough weekend last time out with both cars damaged, the boys and girls back at Silverstone delivered by working day and night to ensure we had all the parts we needed for this weekend. That’s what Formula 1 is all about: it’s teamwork.”
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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