Renault withdraw appeal against Racing Point-Mercedes ruling

Renault F1 Team has announced that it has withdrawn its appeal against the Racing Point ruling, stating that it has faith in the FIA to safeguard the originality of the sport in the future.

Racing Point has caused a stir during the pre-season testing when it popped up with its car that looked like as a copy of Mercedes’ 2019 machine, the W10. The team has further added to the matter and the tension began to grow when the RP20 showed front-running pace. Most of the teams expressed their displease concerning the similarities between the RP20 and the W10.

Following the Styrian Grand Prix, Round 2 of the curtailed and delayed 2020 F1 championship, Renault lodged a protest against Racing Point’s 2020 car’s brake ducts. Since, the French team has repeated it following every grand prix weekend.

Ahead of the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Racing Point were handed a €400,000 fine and deducted 15 points for running brake ducts that were deemed to be of Mercedes' and not their own design. However, the team was permitted to run the design in the remainder of the season.

After dening any cooperation between the two outfits, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff had to admit that the German-Anglo team sent the design of the brake ducts of its 2019 car on January 6, six days after the brake ducts were added to the Listed Parts, making the cooperation of this kind illegal.

Following the decision, Ferrari, Renault, McLaren and Williams announced their intention to appeal, but ultimately only the Italian and the French manufacturers had lodged an official appeal. Racing Point also appealed against the decision with the team unhappy about the severity of the punishment.

Racing Point used the Mercedes-inspired brake ducts at the Spanish Grand Prix with Renault lodging another protest against it following the race at Barcelona.

Renault has now announced that it requested to withdraw the appeal, but they pin hope on the work of the FIA and Formula 1 to avoid similar cases in the future that endanger the sportsmanship at the pinnacle of the sport.

“[Renault] confirms that it has requested to withdraw the appeals lodged against the stewards’ decisions in relation to BWT Racing Point F1 Team’s brake ducts,” said a statement from the team.

“Beyond the decisions, the matters at issue were vital to the integrity of Formula One, both during the current season and in the future. However, intensive and constructive work between the FIA, [Renault] and all Formula 1 stakeholders has led to concrete progress in safeguarding the originality in the sport by way of amendments to the Sporting and Technical Regulations planned for the 2021 racing season, confirming the requirements to qualify as a Constructor.

“Reaching this strategic objective, in the context of the new Concorde Agreement, was our priority. The controversy of the start of this season should be put behind us, as we need to focus on the remainder of an intense and unique championship.”