Racing Point both 'bewildered' and pleased by FIA decision

Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer admitted to being "bewildered" by the FIA's ruling on its brake duct design but also pleased by the validation of its car's overall legality.

The FIA upheld Renault's multiple protests over Racing Point's brake ducts, handing a €400,000 fine to the Silverstone-based squad and docking 15 championship points from the team's Constructors' standings tally.

"The good news from the judgement was that the car is completely legal from a technical perspective, so we can continue to run the brake ducts," Szafnauer told Sky Sports F1.

"It's just a matter of process which is in the sporting regulations. We read the sporting regulations, there is nothing specific in there which says we couldn't do what we did.

• FIA fines Racing Point €400,000, docks points following Renault protest

"Other teams have done exactly the same, probably even more than what we did in a way. It's a bit bewildering. However, we now have to decide whether our punishment is one that we should appeal.

"But like I said, the good news is we can continue to run this car as it is here, and thereafter, and it's legal."

Regarding the process of exploiting a part that moved from being 'non-listed' in 2019 to 'listed' in 2020, Szafnauer said that he had been at the forefront of changing the brake ducts' status

"I was there in the strategy group meeting when we voted for this," explained the Racing Point boss.

"I supported this, going from a non-listed part to a listed part. Some teams didn't want this to happen, others did. I think we were the swing vote.

"I supported Cyril [Abiteboul, Renault F1 boss] wholeheartedly on this.

"We started this process well before the brake ducts were even contemplated moving from non-listed to listed.

"So it pains me and surprises me that the process has now been deemed not within the regulations when the regulations aren't clear."

The FIA will amend the 2021 rules to limit more strictly design copycat attempts. But Szafnauer says the introduction of the sport's new regulation platform in 2022 will completely eliminate the current design issues.

"I think all that kind of stuff should be addressed by the new rules in 2022," Szafnauer said.

"There are different categories of parts there, and it's to address just that.

"It becomes even more clear in 2022, the regulations have been pushed out a year because of the virus situation that we find ourselves in.

"This kind of issue will completely disappear."

More pressingly, Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul said that the team may appeal today's ruling in the next 24 hours, the French manufacturer considering whether the punishment inflicted on Racing Point is harsh enough.

"I can confirm that we are considering whether or not to appeal," Abiteboul said. "It happens that usually we have one hour to do that, but in this particular case given the complexity we have 24 hours, and then 96 hours to confirm or not the appeal.

"Again, because it's complex then we need to balance carefully the interest of the sport, and the consistency of the sanction. We are looking at whether or not we will appeal the sanction, not obviously on the decision."

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