Formula 1: Impact of Racing Point’s penalty goes beyond 2020

Racing Point picked up penalties after Renault’s protests into the legality of their brake ducts were upheld. This decision has an impact not just on the 2020 Formula 1 season, but the 2021 campaign as well.

The former Force India team have been deducted 15 world championship points, 7.5 each for car, fined 400,000 Euros and reprimanded after the FIA, Formula 1‘s governing body, ruled the “principal” designer of their brake ducts to be Mercedes.

Renault protested after the Styrian, Hungarian and British Grands Prix, and Racing Point picked up the penalties for running the brake ducts. As a listed part, brake ducts must be individually designed and created by the teams.

In the constructor standings, Racing Point dropped from fifth to sixth place behind — who else — Renault, with their 42 points reducing to 27.

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Racing Point were open in admitting that they took inspiration from the 2019 conquering Mercedes. But in a statement, the FIA said that they did not accept the brake ducts were designed from scratch, with the statement adding that Racing Point had taken delivery of a set of Mercedes brake ducts in January.

However, the FIA also said that it would be unrealistic for Racing Point to remove and design new brake ducts, meaning they are clear to continue to run the part for the rest of the year. The penalties imposed are designed to be sufficient enough to affect the team over the course of the 2020 season.

It was also deemed, despite the team falling foul of breaching sporting regulations, that the car that had been run so far this season is completely legal.

This decision has ramifications for 2021 as well. Although the car specs will largely be similar next year after major changes to the blueprint of the sport were pushed back to 2022, this ruling has seen the FIA tighten up regarding car copying.

Speaking to the official Formula One website, Niklas Tombazis, the FIA’s head of single-seater matters, said: “Copying has taken place in Formula One for a long time. We do not think this can stop in the future completely. But what we do think is Racing Point took this to another level.

“We do plan, in the very short notice, to introduce some amendment to the 2021 sporting regulations that will prevent this becoming the norm. It will prevent from using extensive parts of photos to copy whole portions of cars in the way Racing Point has done.

“We want to give a very strong message to teams that they should not be starting doing that for next year’s car because that will simply not be allowed.”

The saga has helped to clear the air on the regulations of copying another car. And with restrictions tightening next year, meaning others are not able to copy to the extent Racing Point have, they might well just take their penalties on the chin.

The 70th Anniversary Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from Silverstone Circuit on Sunday, August 9 beginning at 9:10 a.m. ET.