Renault believes that Racing Point should be stripped of all points earned from the events at which its RP20 was protested, pointing to the outcome of last year’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Racing Point was docked 15 points, fined €400,000 and given two team reprimands after stewards deemed that it had been in breach of Sporting Regulations when designing its brake ducts.
That sanction covered three events at which Renault protested – Styria, Hungary and Britain – while Racing Point was again reprimanded at the 70th Anniversary round after running the parts again.
Stewards confirmed that the parts could continue to be run on the RP20, citing their compliance with the Technical Regulations.
Racing Point has lodged an official appeal against its sanction while Ferrari and Renault have also both appealed the decision, seeking a harsher penalty and greater clarification of the regulations.
Renault was disqualified from last year’s Japanese Grand Prix – in which it scored nine points – after it was found to have been in breach of the Sporting Regulations with regards to driver aids.
Racing Point scored 36 points across the three races where Renault lodged a protest while it added a further 14 to its tally at Silverstone last weekend.
“We were expecting a consistent sanction with other sanctions that we’ve seen in the past,” said Renault Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul on Friday.
“The most recent one being the one we accepted last year after Suzuka when we were found in breach of a Sporting Regulation, not a Technical Regulations, and were 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 we’ve been protesting.”
Abiteboul also emphasised that Renault wants further clarity on the situation, suggesting that issuing Racing Point with a reprimand after every event is confusing for spectators.
“I think we are also going to be in a bit of a strange situation where after every single event Otmar [Szafnauer, Racing Point Team Principal] will be called to the stewards, his brake ducts will be found similar to what they were and he will again receive a reprimand.
“We are facing, what, 10 races where his cars will be reprimanded?
“It is a bit of a strange situation, so I think we would like to have also a bit more clarity about that.
“I’m not necessarily saying that they should be excluded from the season but I think that also from a communication standpoint to the fans, to the public, explaining why a car is still somewhat in breach [of regulations] because it will receive a reprimand, but it is okay to be part of the championship and eligible for points… we think it is a bit awkward.
“We would like also some closure about that if possible.”
