Renault wants Racing Point to lose most of its points

Stewards docked Racing Point 15 points for a breach of the sporting regulations after Renault protested the Mercedes-powered team's brake ducts.

Published : Aug 14, 2020 22:25 IST

Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul wants an appeal court to strip Formula One rival Racing Point of most of its points this season (File Photo).

Renault wants an appeal court to strip Formula One rival Racing Point of most of its points from this season, team principal Cyril Abiteboul said on Friday.

Stewards docked Racing Point 15 points for a breach of the sporting regulations after Renault protested the Mercedes-powered team's brake ducts at every race since the Austrian season-opener.

The team, whose 2020 car is a close copy of last year's Mercedes, was also fined 400,000 euros ($473,360) but allowed to continue competing without having to redesign the offending parts.

The points deduction applied only to the Styrian Grand Prix, race two of the season, with subsequent protests drawing a reprimand.

Renault, Ferrari and Canadian-owned Racing Point are all protesting the stewards' decision, the latter team arguing that it has done nothing wrong and seeking to have the punishment overturned.

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“We were expecting a consistent sanction with other sanctions that we've seen in the past,” Abiteboul told a video news conference at the Spanish Grand Prix.

“The most recent one (was the one) we accepted last year after Suzuka when we were found in breach of the sporting regulations, and not the technical regulations, and excluded from that event, therefore losing all our points.

“There was no discount for Renault. So I don't know why there should be a discount for Racing Point. It should be all the points of the events that we've protested.”

Renault has appealed after four of the five rounds to date, with Racing Point reprimanded at the last three but not stripped of further points, and will continue doing so until a final decision.

The drivers, Canadian Lance Stroll and Mexican Sergio Perez as well as stand-in Nico Hulkenberg, get to keep their points.

Renault was stripped of points after last year's Japanese Grand Prix after stewards ruled its cars had illegal driver aids.

On that occasion, it was Racing Point which protested against the brake bias system used by the French manufacturer team.