Haas boss Guenther Steiner has taken a dig at Racing Point, insisting its rival's new car which was closely inspired by last year's Mercedes W10 absolves the US outfit from the pink outfit's past criticism of its tight collaboration with Ferrari.
Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer was among the most vocal critics of Haas in 2018, blasting Steiner's team for fielding a car back then that many considered a mere Ferrari clone.
But this year, Racing Point has followed a similar approach, with tech boss Andy Green taking his cue from Mercedes with regard to the RP20's aero concept and the design of its front and rear suspension elements. The car also logically gets its transmission from its ppower unit supplier.
The irony of Racing Point's choice wasn't lost on Steiner.
"Sometimes you have to think before you talk, I will say that one, because maybe one day it's your turn and then you cannot go against [it]," said Steiner, commenting on Racing Point's W10 lookalike.
"As we all know, they complained quite heavily a few years ago, so now it is going full circle. It is up to them. I don't really care."
Indeed, Steiner admitted to not being surprised by Racing Point's coherent design approach, which he readily accepted as legitimate.
"I would put it like this. They use a lot of Mercedes parts on their car, so why would they go and copy a Red Bull? It's the same with us," said the Italian.
"We buy a lot of parts from Ferrari. So which car are we going to copy? I guess a Ferrari. I mean, if you will copy a Toro Rosso or a Red Bull we would be pretty stupid because we would try to invent something which is not there.
"So I think they're just doing what we are doing: just trying to get the best out of it and use that model."
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Williams driver Logan Sargeant is maintaining his composure amid speculation regarding a potential mid-season replacement,…
Lando Norris says Miami isn’t the best circuit to gauge the full impact of McLaren’s…
Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff has for the very first time publicly expressed his…
Fernando Alonso says he’ll be looking to engage with the FIA regarding his concerns over…
On this day in 1985, the San Marino Grand Prix ended in confusion with drivers…
As a street-track spectacular, the Miami International Autodrome features three long straights and an equal…