Racing Point confirms penalty appeal

Racing Point has appealed the punishment dished out by the FIA in the wake of Renault’s protest into its brake ducts.

Last Friday it was announced that Racing Point had been found in breach of Appendix 6 of the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations and was fined EUR 400,000 and docked 15 constructors’ championship points.

The team has been allowed to continue using the rear brake ducts that were found to breach the regulation, and the ‘grandfathered’ front brake ducts, but would be handed a reprimand at each event they did so.

It prompted an angry response from the paddock with Lawrence Stroll, Racing Point’s owner, stating he was appalled by the decision.

Similar comments have been made by others teams, most notably McLaren where Zak Brown branded the punishment ‘BS’.

Both Williams and McLaren had signalled their intentions to appeal the decision but have since elected not to.

Williams is a current engine customer of Mercedes, whose brake ducts were central to the FIA’s investigation, while McLaren will become a customer next year.

Ferrari and Renault meanwhile have both pushed ahead with their own appeals in search of a harsher penalty.

Racing Point also confirmed its own intent to appeal the decision as it looks to clear its name.

Ferrari’s has also appealed the reprimands which will be handed to Racing Point at events where they continue to use the brake ducts in question.

As reported by Speedcafe.com, the Racing Point penalty is such that the brake ducts are considered legal from a technical standpoint, but the process used to arrive at their design was considered illegal.

The next step is for the matter to be heard by the FIA’s International Court of Appeal, though a date for the hearing has not yet been fixed.

A meeting at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix in Silverstone last weekend saw the bulk of team bosses discuss the regulatory shortcomings highlighted by the situation with a view to closing any loopholes for 2021.