Formula 1

McLaren join Ferrari in appealing Racing Point penalty

The two teams believe the penalty to be too lenient

Sam Hall

Friday 7 August 2020 22:48 Updated: 23:18

McLaren has become the second team to announce its intention to protest the penalty handed to Racing Point for running illegal parts in the opening four grands prix this season.

Following the lead of Ferrari, McLaren has confirmed to GPFans the team has informed the FIA of its intention to protest the penalty handed out to Racing Point.

Speaking on Friday, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said: "I know we're looking at both a protest situation, we're also looking at an appeal.

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"We aren't just happy with leaving it alone, because the end result is they are continuing to race with this part that shouldn't be on the racecar."

A Renault protest against the brake ducts on Racing Point's RP20 was upheld by the stewards following a hearing at Silverstone on Wednesday, leading to the penalties.

With regard to the brake ducts themselves, Brown added that he has question marks "over the majority of the car", describing the initial FIA decision as "the tip of the iceberg".

In the FIA press conference, Brown described Racing Point's original line that the RP20 had been designed by photography as "BS", stating: "Around this whole copying, obviously they claimed that they had coped the car via photography.

"It’s clear from reading the document that is BS and therefore you have to question anything else around that car."

Following the conference, Brown added in the media pen: "That [the penalty] doesn't make any sense to the fans, let alone people in the paddock, and I think it needs to be looked at much more closely quickly.

"I don't think the penalty fits the crime in that last year they were seventh in the championship, now they're competing for third in the championship.

"That is worth tens of millions of dollars, so to get a €400,000 fine is insignificant in comparison to the benefits."

In a war of words between the teams, Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer launched a furious counter to Brown's remarks.

“To Zak Brown it is BS because he’s not an engineer,” said Szafnauer. “He’s got no idea what he’s talking about. Zero!

“I’m surprised at how little he knows about the rules of Formula 1. It seems to me he knows more about historic racing than he does about Formula 1.”

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