The former 2 time constructors champions, have hit the brakes on their appeal against the brake ducts design of Racing point. The withdrawal of the appeal, now only leaves Scuderia Ferrari as the sole protester of all the constructors.
via Autosport
Racing Point’s spectacular season, has been nothing short of a surprise for Formula 1 fans. Constantly on the pace, and far separated from the midfield, the Racing Point is consensus the 3rd fastest car behind the Mercedes and Redbull. Yet, the belief its astonishing pace appearing out of nowhere has left constructors baffled and speculative. The trend of speculation began right from the first day of pre-season testing, where the car’s aerodynamical aesthetic and in particular its front wing design, earned the hallmark of “Pink Mercedes”.
However since day 1 of the car’s conceptions, Racing Point and its team principal Otmar Szaufner have pleaded innocence, however admitting the car was “inspired” from the Mercedes W10. Amidst the speculation, Racing Point insisted the car was conceptualized after taking multiple drawings of the 2019 Mercedes. Yet, designing a car by being inspired by some other constructor’s design, is not illegal. In-fact, producing car’s based on the fastest car has been the backbone of lower tier formula 1 teams.
Lower tier teams, also known as back marker, are cash strapped teams who have to make the best use of whatever is available to them. Thus, it is logical some teams take “inspiration” from their successful counterparts to produce a fast car. Haas, an American formula 1 team who debuted in 2016, modeled the car’s aerodynamic and engine layout from Ferrari. Haas not only acquired a Ferrari engine, but also bought a lot of parts offhand from Ferrari, instead of developing their own. This move turned out to be fruitful for the American outfit, as they finished 5th in the 2018 constructors standing, astonishing considering they only debuted 2 years ago.
The withdrawal from Renault, is also in part of the new Concorde agreement which ensures a financially fair playground for all of Formula 1’s participants. Report have suggested that the withdrawal, is also based on the assurance given by the FIA to Renault. The FIA exclaimed that the issue of car copying with changes to the regulation would be monitored and addressed. Renault said: "Beyond the decisions, the matters at issue were vital to the integrity of Formula 1, both during the current season and in the future.