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The Racing Point Formula 1 cars have been protested again by Renault following the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The FIA is already investigating the Racing Point RP20s following Renault’s protest at the Styrian Grand Prix, which led to Racing Point’s brake ducts being impounded.
The RP20 has proven a controversial car due to its intentional similarities to last year’s title-winning Mercedes, and Renault’s protest alleges that the 2020 Racing Point has components that directly copy Mercedes’ design despite falling under the category of Listed Parts – ie parts that a team must design itself and own the intellectual property to.
However, Renault’s protest during the second race weekend at the Red Bull Ring applied only to that weekend’s grand prix, because a protest has to be specific to an official session.
Racing Point is allowed to continue using the same design while the matter is investigated, but this meant Renault would need to lodge another protest in Hungary so that the results of the Hungarian GP likewise become provisional subject to the ruling.
The follow-up protest was very much anticipated by the FIA, which has set out a three-week deadline for the submission of evidence regarding the case but said it expected to receive evidence in advance and be able to begin its analysis and schedule a hearing.
Racing Point and Renault representatives met with the stewards on Sunday night in Hungary, with Racing Point making clear the parts in question were of the same design as had been used in Austria. The officials agreed that there was no need to impound further examples of the components and that effectively the Hungary protest would be absorbed into the overall case.
The FIA said it intends to assign one set of stewards to reach a verdict in the Renault/Racing Point dispute, rather than have each set of stewards for every given event handle each protest individually.
