Szafnauer: Aston Martin must be realistic now P3 ‘a step too far’
Otmar Szafnauer says Aston Martin must be “realistic” about what it can achieve in Formula 1 this year now that third in the championship seems out of reach.


After finishing fourth in last year’s constructors’ championship under its previous Racing Point guise, Aston Martin set its sights on leading the midfield teams this year with third in the standings.
But the downforce cuts on the 2021 cars appeared to hit Aston Martin the hardest, causing the team’s form to slump compared to midfield rivals McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine and AlphaTauri.
The team has scored just five points in the opening four races of the year - all courtesy of Lance Stroll - leaving it seventh in the standings and ahead only of the point-less trio of Alfa Romeo, Williams and Haas.
Szafnauer said ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix that third now looked to be out of reach for Aston Martin, but hoped it could recover to a top-five finish.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR21
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“Unfortunately I think P3 is probably a step too far,” Szafnauer said.
“We will fight hard in the midfield to see how high we can go. But yeah, we’d like to be in the top half by the end of the year.”
The Aston Martin name returned to the grid for the first time in 61 years after Racing Point team owner Lawrence Stroll invested in the British car brand, laying the foundations for his ambition to turn the squad into a championship winner.
Szafnauer did not feel there was any additional pressure coming from Stroll or the other shareholders because of the team’s 2021 struggles, saying the whole team was realistic of its current position.
“None of us are happy with the situation we're in,” Szafnauer said.
Read Also:
“We’ve got to be realistic as to what we can do with a frozen car, a frozen rake and regulations that are significantly changing for 2022.
“So, we just have to be realistic to understand the situation we're in, and do the best we can with the car and the tools that we have.
“For sure there's always pressure when you're not achieving where you thought you were going to achieve. But like I said, we all have to be realistic and do what we can, without compromising the 2022 programme.”
Asked by Autosport if the difficult start to the year had allowed Aston Martin to switch more of its resources to 2022 earlier than expected, Szafnauer said it had not changed its original plans.
“Not really, we had a plan that we haven’t deviated from,” Szafnauer said.
“But that was a plan set last year as to how far into this season we’re going to develop this year’s car. We’re still on course.”
Related video

What are flexi-wings and why do F1 teams want them?
Red Bull adds serrations to F1 diffuser for Monaco GP

Latest news
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
How Red Bull found more downforce for Hungary
Red Bull initially feared it would be on the back foot at Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix, with the team seemingly less comfortable at high downforce circuits than previous years.
Russell: Hungary pole justifies faith in Mercedes F1 car concept
George Russell believes Mercedes’ pole position and double podium finish in Hungary last weekend justifies its decision to stick with its current Formula 1 car concept.
Alpine confident it will beat Aston Martin while Alonso is there
Alpine Formula 1 boss Otmar Szafnauer believes that his team can continue to outperform Aston Martin during Fernando Alonso’s tenure at the Silverstone squad when he switches camps for 2023.
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? PAT SYMONDS considers the alternatives to carbonfibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans revealed after Vettel’s decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last
Why all signs point to F1’s Monaco special relationship continuing
OPINION: With more potential venues than there are slots in future calendars, rumours have been circulating that the Monaco Grand Prix could be a casualty of F1’s expansion into new markets. But MARK GALLAGHER thinks this is highly unlikely
Hungarian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
The Hungarian Grand Prix race result, after a dry race held without safety car conditions, bore little resemblance to what was anticipated after qualifying. While certain drivers were nullified by some iffy strategy calls, others shone to grasp opportunities afforded to them in the last F1 race before the summer break