Formula One team Racing Point on Friday saw 15 points deducted by the governing body FIA after they upheld Renault's protest regarding illegal brake ducts. The FIA stated that the design of the brake ducts was that of Mercedes and not of Racing Point, as the latter had claimed.
Apart from points deduction, the F1 team was also fined 400,000 euros. Renault had protested after the conclusion of Hungarian, Styrian and British Grand Prixs as Racing Point's car had striking similarities with that of last year's title-winning Mercedes car.
FIA Steps In
"Since the RP20 RBDs (rear brake ducts) were not run on the RP19 in 2019 and since the Stewards believe that the design effort expended by Racing Point in adapting the RBDs originally designed by Mercedes for the W10 pales in comparison to the significance of the original Mercedes work, the Stewards conclude that the principal designer of the RP20 RBDs was Mercedes, not Racing Point," the FIA statement read as per autosport.com.
Sergio Perez Tests Positive
Meanwhile, Racing Point on Friday confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg will continue to drive alongside Lance Stroll in this weekend's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone as a stand-in for regular driver Sergio Perez who has returned a positive result for COVID-19.
On Thursday, Racing Point had said Perez had completed his seven-day period of self-isolation and would be tested to see if he could return to the cockpit after missing the British Grand Prix.
However, on Friday morning, two hours ahead of first practice, the team said Perez had tested positive again and as a result "he will continue to follow the guidance of Public Health England". The team added that "he is physically well and recovering".
