RACING POINT TEAM UPDATE

In an unprecedented time for the sport, Otmar provides an update on the team’s current state of play.

Otmar, it’s been a difficult few weeks, not just for motorsport, but communities across the globe. How is morale in the team?

"Our first concern at a time like this is the physical and mental wellbeing of our team-mates, their families and friends. We have everybody back home in the UK now and adjusting to this new reality, but it’s certainly not easy for anybody. We’re obviously disappointed not to be able to race for the foreseeable future but, ultimately, we all understand the significance of the situation. The challenges the world is currently facing are unlike anything I’ve known in my lifetime and clearly transcend the sport, so the decisions that have been made are the correct ones."

Is the factory still operational at this point?

"In light of the latest guidance from the UK Government we shut down on Wednesday evening, our doors will be closed for at least three weeks. As things currently stand – and it’s important to stress that this is a constantly evolving situation, we’ll be returning to work on Thursday 16 April. We’ve also worked extremely hard over the last few weeks to ensure that all staff who can work from home have the equipment they need to set up home offices."

How will this affect preparations for 2021?

"This is an unprecedented situation, one that is changing by the day. Right now, we simply cannot say with any degree of certainty when we’ll be back to normal. There are so many factors that are not under our control. With that in mind, another decision taken between the teams and the FIA has been to delay the introduction of the new regulations until 2022."

"From both a logistical and a cost perspective, this makes absolute sense. Of course, that doesn’t mean we can afford to take it easy when we return to work. When we do eventually get back on track, we need to be in a position to compete, whatever the regulations. There’s still plenty of work ahead and we’ll be ready to tackle it when the time comes."

What message do you have for the fans of the team and the sport?

"On behalf of everybody in the team, I’d like to thank our fans for their support at this challenging time. I’d also like to recognise the commitment and positivity of our commercial partners. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will get back to the racing. In the meantime, there are some excellent efforts going on with F1 Esports and our drivers will be involved in those online events in the weeks ahead."

"My final thought is to reinforce the government’s advice to stay at home and act responsibly; the more we all follow the guidelines, the quicker we will be back racing. It’s important we all stay united through these unusual times and stay safe and healthy."