0:00 - Renault Explain Their Protest Against Racing Point
2:59 - Fast Feed

Racing Point had been in the news during the pre-season test as their car was supposedly a copy of Mercedes’ 2019 car. While the chaos of the first race of 2020 didn’t allow them to show their real pace, the Styrian GP painted a clearer picture of the pecking order and Racing Point did quite well in a pretty competitive mid-field. This has forced some of the other teams to cry foul.

Renault Explain Their Protest Against Racing Point

Racing Point’s Lance Stroll gave an assessment of his car’s pace

"I really believe we had - debatably - the second quickest car, maybe third, but we were definitely quicker than Renault, McLaren and a lot of other of our competitors. So that was really positive."

Other teams also noticed this and Renault lodged a protest against the legality of Racing Point’s car

“We confirm that Renault has submitted a request to the Stewards of the Event for clarification on the legality of the Racing Point RP20. We have no further comment on this matter until the Stewards have arrived at a decision”

As per the rules of F1, teams are only allowed to outsource the design of parts on their cars to companies that have no association with F1. Allegedly parts on Racing Point’s car were originally designed by Mercedes for their 2019 car.

Renault’s Executive director Marcin Budkowski who formerly worked in the FIA’s technical department elaborated on this

“Basically we contend that the brake ducts front and rear that are used on the Racing Point are effectively a Mercedes design, and so have been designed by another competitor”

"We believe there has been an exchange of designs and of parts. Potentially, in the legal way, but nevertheless, if it was legal to exchange them last year, it's not legal to race them this year.”

This is due to the fact that Racing Point used Mercedes brake ducts last year but in 2020 they are no longer a listed part available for purchase. Renault content that if Racing Point’s current brakes are essentially the 2019 Mercedes brakes they used previously, then they not a Racing Point design and thus in breach of the regulations.

Budkowski also revealed that they had already planned to protest in Australia

“To be honest, we were planning to do it in Melbourne, but didn’t really have the opportunity to do it in Melbourne”

He then explained why they waited for the second race to finally do it

“The reasons why we didn’t do it last week were more related to the fact took a lot of a lot of good work from the FIA and F1 to reconvene everybody at a race. And I think we wanted to respect this, and we applaud the work that they’ve done”

This was followed by the stewards announcing that Renault’s protest is admissible which lead to them impounding those parts from Stroll and Perez's cars in preparation for analysis, with Mercedes ordered to provide the same parts from their 2019 car for comparison.

Racing Point responded to the protest

“BWT Racing Point F1 Team is extremely disappointed to see its results in the Styrian Grand Prix questioned by what it considers to be a misconceived and poorly informed protest”

“Any and all suggestion of wrongdoing is firmly rejected and the team will take all steps necessary to ensure the correct application of the regulations to the facts. Prior to the start of the season, the team co-operated fully with the FIA and satisfactorily addressed all questions regarding the origins of the design of the RP20”

They are also confident that their car will eventually be deemed legal

“The team is confident that the protest will be dismissed once it has presented its response.”


Fast Feed

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez feels that he “was very lucky to [only] lose one position from” the damage caused due to the contact with Alex Albon late in the Styrian GP

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel didn’t “expect Charles to try something” and didn’t “think there was any space” during the Styrian GP

He, however, is not going to give up on Ferrari as “a lot of guys in the team have given so much to” him “in the last couple of years. And just out of respect” he wants “to give that support back and bring” his time at Ferrari “to a worthy end”

Rumours have emerged that Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas has reportedly been offered a contract for 2021 by Mercedes

Former F1 driver Mika Hakkinen thinks that “These are worrying times for Ferrari and that it doesn't help if drivers make mistakes”

Red Bull’s Christian Horner has revealed that “The whole factory is working incredibly hard” and feels that they “improved the car from last week to this week” and hopes to “do the same during the next five days”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has said that “Hungary is very different from Spielberg” and they “can't wait to benchmark” themselves there

His driver Valtteri Bottas feels that he “could have left with more satisfaction” after the Styrian GP but is “looking forward to the upcoming races"