Racing Point docked 15 points and fined $470k over illegal brake ducts

SILVERSTONE, England — Racing Point was deducted fifteen factors in the Method One constructors’ championship and fined four hundred,000 euros ($470,000) Friday for employing brake ducts based mostly on those from last year’s Mercedes cars and trucks.

The stewards dominated that Mercedes was the “principal designer” of the elements, and that Racing Point built only small alterations to computer structure information it obtained from Mercedes.

Rival team Renault submitted protests about the legality of the brake ducts, which were being additional to the “listed parts” below F1 regulations for 2020. That means groups ought to structure their possess. Racing Point argued it was simply employing facts about the Mercedes elements to tell its possess structure.

Brake ducts have develop into significantly elaborate in latest yrs as groups try out to squeeze out every single aerodynamic gain they can come across from the cars and trucks.

Racing Point takes advantage of shopper engines from Mercedes and has admitted basing its 2020 auto structure on photos of last year’s Mercedes auto. The similarities led to the Racing Point getting nicknamed the “pink Mercedes” when it was very first witnessed in tests forward of the time.

Racing Point can attractiveness the ruling. The factors deduction drops the team from fifth to sixth in the standings, underneath Renault. The ruling won’t have an affect on the factors totals for Racing Point’s motorists.