Renault boss Abiteboul calls for Racing Point to be stripped of all constructors' points

Formula 1

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Renault boss Abiteboul calls for Racing Point to be stripped of all constructors' points

No "discount" should be made for Racing Point

Sam Hall

Friday 14 August 2020 18:59

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Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul wants the FIA to come down hard on Racing Point for the continued use of the controversial rear brake ducts.

The FIA handed Racing Point a €400,000 fine and docked the team 15 constructors' championship points. Racing Point has appealed the punishment as being too harsh, the team believing that no regulation has been breached, and Renault and Ferrari are protesting the leniency of the decision.

Questioned as to what he believes a fair punishment would be, Abiteboul said: "We were expecting a consistent sanction.

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"With other sanctions that we’ve seen in the past and the most recent one being 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 and 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 have been protested."

Following the FIA decision, Racing Point has been allowed to continue running the rear brake ducts - a part deemed by the FIA to have been predominantly designed by Mercedes. As a listed part, Racing Point must design and manufacture the element in house.

At each event Racing Point run the brake ducts, the team will receive a reprimand, a situation the Renault boss describes as "strange".

Abiteboul continued: "I think we are also going to be in a bit of a strange situation where, after every single event, Otmar will be called to the stewards, his brake ducts will be found similar to what they were, and unchanged, and again he will receive a reprimand.

"So we are facing the prospect of – what – almost ten races or something like that, or a bit less than that? Where his cars will be reprimanded. So, it’s a bit of a strange situation and I think that we’d like to have a bit more clarity about that.

"[I'm] Not necessarily saying that they should be excluded for the season – but I think that also from a communication standpoint to the fan, to the public, explaining why your car is still somewhat in breach because he will receive a reprimand, but it’s OK to be part of the Championship and therefore to be eligible for points. We think it’s a bit awkward. So we would like also some closure about that, if possible."

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