Szafnauer says Brown 'has no idea what he's talking about'

Racing Point's Otmar Szafnauer has lashed out at McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown as a war of words erupted on Friday between the two team bosses.

In the aftermath of the FIA's ruling on Racing Point's brake duct design, for which the team was fined a hefty €400,000 and docked 15 Constructors' championship points, Brown questioned a decision that found Racing Point in breach of the technical rules, yet allows the team to keep using its controversial brake ducts.

"I think that is confusing for the fans, how something that is not legal in Austria is still on the car," argued Brown in Friday's FIA press conference.

"Around this whole copying, obviously they claimed that they had copied the car via photography.

"It’s clear from reading the document that is BS and therefore you have to question anything else around that car."

• Ferrari and McLaren to appeal FIA Racing Point ruling

Needles to say, Brown's criticism and 'BS' comment did not go down well with Szafnauer who responded with a direct gibe of his own.

"So Zak Brown, it is BS, because he's not an engineer," said the American. "He's got no idea what he's talking about. Zero.

"And I'm surprised at how little he knows about the rules of F1. It seems to me he knows more about historic racing than he does about F1."

Both Ferrari and McLaren announced on Friday evening their intention to appeal the FIA Stewards' ruling, while Racing Point is contemplating an appeal of its own.

"I think an appeal, for example, would require some further legal assistance from lawyers," he said.

"And it could very well be that the lawyers cost you more than the fine. So that's something you've got to decide.

"And then to me the 15 points that we're docked you've got to assess as well, is that gonna matter at the end of the championship? In some years it does. And some years it doesn't. So it's hard to predict. That could be a yes.

"And then the last thing is having done absolutely nothing wrong, but being in breach of a sporting regulation process, that in itself is also not a positive thing.

"So, we should just also consider appealing to clear our name. We did absolutely nothing wrong, we followed the regulations to a tee.

"And when you go to appeal, you've got different types of judges that will hear the arguments."

Szafnauer admitting the day's events had left him with a sense of frustration and injustice.

"We've always designed our own [brake ducts]," he said.

"And we started the process of getting some data legally from Mercedes on brake ducts in 2018, before they were even contemplating moving them from non-listed to listed.

"And now we're in breach of a sporting regulation process that says, because we started with some data that we legally obtained from Mercedes, we're in breach.

"It's just ridiculous. That is the frustration. And you look at people like Haas, and Toro Rosso, who forever have been getting not just data but brake ducts and designs and everything, and they're all okay, but we're not? That's a frustration."

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