Unknown F1 2021 rules won’t derail Racing Point expansion

Racing Point’s planned expansion of its Formula 1 factory will not be affected by a lack of clarity over the future direction of regulation changes post-2020. 

FOM and the FIA, together with all ten teams, are currently in negotiations over proposals for a fresh set of rules being introduced in 2021 as part of F1’s wider push to improve the show and create fairer competition. 

While the exact technical rules are yet to be mapped out, Racing Point is pushing ahead with its plans to build a new factory at Silverstone, which it hopes to be ready in time for 2021.  

Asked about the uncertainty over F1 post-2020, Racing Point team principal and CEO Otmar Szafnauer said: “So how do we know how big to make the factory? How little to make it, what to include? What not to include? 

“What we do know is that the building we are in with the people we have is too small. What we don’t know is do we need a new wind tunnel? 

“So we bought enough land so we can expand or contract as needed based on the regulations. 

“We have some insight as to what 2021 will look like; even with a cost cap that has been talked about we will need more space. 

“Right now we are about 300 people on one sight and 100 on another. So we can’t really fit much more than 350 at the site where we are at, and we are already 425. 

“Even if we stayed the same size we’d need a new building to get everybody together. I think we are going to grow so whenever the cost cap comes out we will be way under it and we will start growing.”

Buoyed by fresh investment following a takeover by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll and added sponsorship backing from SportPesa, Racing Point has already purchased 27 acres of land near its existing site and is now waiting on planning permission to start building.

“It will take about two, two and a half years from now for us to finish the new factory then we are going to move in – just next door,” Szafnauer explained. 

“We don’t have planning permission yet but we hope that is forthcoming. So we are working on the plans now to apply. 

“There is a six-month process to go through all the necessary steps, and we are probably three to four months into that process before we apply for planning. Once we have the permission then we will start.”