Racing Point has only unlocked half of the potential from its 2019 Formula 1 car during the opening two races of the season, according to team b🦄oss Otmar Szafnauer. 

Following fresh investmen🌼t from new backer Lawrence Stroll and additional sponsors, confidence within the Silverstone-based outfit’s ranks was high heading into the new campaig꧅n. 

Racing Point introduced a heavily-upgraded car in time for the Melbourne season-opener but the updates did not perform as hoped💃 - with Lance Stroll managing a ninth-place finish in Australia, before teammate Sergio Perez could oไnly add one point to the team’s tally in Bahrain.

As a result, the rebrande🍷d squad currently occupies ninth in the constru𒀰ctors’ championship, ahead of only the struggling Williams team. 

“I thไink half of it hasn’t been unlocked,” Sz𓄧afnauer said when asked about the potential of the RP19. 

“But you’ve got to do the experiments in real time to learn an𒀰d then get there.

“You gotta bolt on that two-to-three tenths before they do, not at the same time, or else you’re relatively at the same position. We can do it.

“We had a package for Melbourne, we had anot♕her update here. We have some more stuff coming for China but the next big one is in Barcelona.

“Over time sometimes you’ve got to dial the car in with the package you’ve b༺rought.” 

Stroll echoed the comme♛nts of his team boss and is confident Racing Point can unlock more pace from its car at this 🍃weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

“We struggled with the balance of the 🅘car in B🐭ahrain and it’s something we worked to improve during the test last week,” he added.

“We are still learning how to maximise the current aero package, but it feels as though we are moving in the right direction. I think we can unlock more potentiaไl from the car this weekend in China.”

While Szafnauer expected the midfield battle to be as tight as ever, he admitted McLaren’s earl🅺y performances have been the biggest surprise so far in 2019. 

“They look qu❀ite good ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚbut they also looked quite good last year at this time,” he explained. 

“I shouldn’t say this but some of the yo🍰unger drivers are doing a better job than I thought they would. Thatꦺ’s a surprise. 

“That’s not because they weren’t good enough but my failing to predict how good they were going to be.&ꦛnbsp;

“I think I was pleasantly surprised by some of the performance of the younger guys. [Ferrari’s Charles] Leclerc should have won ꦗthe race [in Bahr💛ain].”

Szafnauer insisted Ra🍌cing Point would not be taking any “undue risks” with aggre🍸ssive race start procedures to seek early gains and make up for its current lack of one-lap pace.

“I think what we try to do at t♚he start is we don’t vary it race to race, we just do itꦅ the same every time,” he said. 

“We do work over the weekend to make sure we engage the clutch properly with the grip we have and get the best out of the power🎀train. 

“It’s not about being aggressive, you can’t say ‘OK be really aggressive at the start and then go backwards’ - if you can’t do the procedures right you’ll go ba🐎ckwards.

“Take undue👍 risks [and]ཧ you’ll finish out of the points anyway.”