[ 2020 ] Racing Point F1 Team - Mercedes

[bucker]

Poor Racing Point engineers.

[PlatinumZealot]

Poor Racing Point engineers.

Im happy for them! They get more space to work on the 2021 car.

[DivebombDerek]

We all expected this a while ago when they announced their tie up with merc so dont know why people are now so shocked. Teams copy others every year, look at the amount of merc noses on the grid, racing point have just taken it to the extreme this year. If it works, everyone will start to do it.

I'm sure they will have lots of upgrades to bring that take it away from a direct copy soon.

[izzy]

You think the Merc aerodynamicists are giving anything away? Aero is unlisted so teams have to design their own bodywork, cross-work is prohibited and the punishment would be too severe. Just because it looks like last years Merc doesn't mean it will perform like or in anyway be identical to it.

well they can just hire Mercedes staff even. Haas use Ferrari staff on contract don't they, how can FIA police that even if they wanted to? And then don't aeros chat about flow structures and vortex generators in the canteen? it's not even as if the whole idea wasn't to help smaller teams to catch up so i don't think FIA will be too picky

tho i don't think it's identical, surely the sidepods are quite a big difference?

[f1rules]

seriously, this is almost provocative how 1/1 this is

[El Scorchio]

Perhaps the Mercedes works team and the RP management have seen the benefits of having/being a 'second team' in the manner of RB/Alpha whatever they're called and Ferrari/Haas. Not the stupidest thing in the world, and I always felt that despite their clear design and organisational brilliance, those 'second teams' were a clear advantage for RB and Ferrari over Merc, for exploring design options, testing alternative things without impacting the works team, young drivers etc.

Or MAYBE Stroll Sr. just sees it as a way he can one day get his son in Bottas' current seat

[MercAMGF1Fans]

seriously, this is almost provocative how 1/1 this is

THERE...

[f1rules]

and im not the only it seems

[Jambier]

I think this will be a large debate.

I mean, Alpha Tauri and Haas are 2019 cars of their A Team.
It seems now that without telling it officialy, Aston Martin F1 Team will be the B team of Mercedes. Starting this year with RP

[Racer X]

The car look like if Mercedes had an illegitimate baby with Ferrari. So it's not quite red or silver and you have this little pink monster.


Let's see if it is any good on race weekend or if its just pretty'.
All jokes aside...


if it really is an exact Copy of the Mercedes then this means they are probably 100% focused on next year's car then.

[bill shoe]

I think it's quite possible for RP to copy the exterior shape of last year's Merc with general knowledge of the dimensional limitations in the rules plus lots of good quality pictures.

If RP made a model from that, put it in CFD or wind tunnel and it looked good, then it's a 100% legitimate way to go racing this year. I'm kind of rooting against them because is seems uncreative, but again it's a totally legit way to show up to races and compete.

[FrukostScones]

So Stroll bought his son a Merc seat.
fantastic.

[weirdlife]

I have mixed feelings.. On one side I'm happy for this 'underdog' team to be able to have a chance to fight at the front. Having said that, they were underdogs by being self reliant and innovative for the most part and this made their achievements that much more appreciated by everyone for who they were and what they had to play with. This new approach will at some level take away their individuality as a team.

Let's not forget Hass did the exact same thing with Ferrari but we're unable to extract the same performance from the car and Force India still beat them. It's upto RP to extract the best from this car.

I think McLaren would still be better off as they have a platform that they already know and understand with data from last year.

Running my imagination and a sense check across the paddock.
- Renault - Dammit, there goes another year.
Alonso - Just fell off his chair and thinks a copy of last year's championship winning car with RP is an avenue to explore going forward. Aston Martin?

As an F1 fan and supporter for 2 decades now, I'm happy to have more cars fighting upfront and hoping that McLaren, Alpha T and RP bring their A game to the 2020 championship.

Let's get the show on the road.

[.poz]

Racing Point engineering department

[Jolle]

and im not the only it seems

Well... if you rule out the teams that either sell or buy parts... and it’s multiple teams... there is Renault, McLaren and Williams