Racing Point saga ends as Ferrari withdraw appeal

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Racing Point have revealed they are bamboozled by Ferrari’s different performance level, relative to the opposition, depending on fuel loads.

Ferrari has withdrawn its appeal of the FIA’s decision regarding Racing Point’s brake ducts, meaning that no protests remain.

Accusations of Racing Point copying the 2019 Mercedes car have been present throughout the 2020 season.

They became more than just accusations when Renault began to officially protest the RP20 after each race. The FIA thus launched an investigation and ruled that Racing Point’s brake ducts were illegal, fining them €400,000 and docking them 15 points.

The team protested the penalty, while Renault and Ferrari also appealed, feeling that the punishment wasn’t harsh enough. Therefore, the case was set to go to the International Court of Appeals.

However, Renault withdrew their protest last week, while Racing followed suit just before the Italian Grand Prix.

“We welcome the resolution the teams have agreed, and we’re pleased the FIA has provided much-needed clarification of the rules on listed and non-listed parts,” a team statement read.

“The stewards and all parties involved in the appeals process recognise that there was a lack of clarity in the regulations and that we did not deliberately break them.

“Now that the ambiguity around the regulations has been settled, we have decided to withdraw our appeal in the wider interests of the sport.”

Ferrari has now announced that they have also withdrawn their appeal, finally bringing an end to the “copycat” saga.

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“In recent weeks, the collaboration between FIA, F1 and the teams has produced a series of acts – amendments to the 2021 technical and sporting regulations, approved by the F1 Commission and the FIA World Motor Sport Council, and technical directives – which clarify the responsibilities of each championship participant in the design of the components of a single-seater and implement specific monitoring procedures to ensure that both the letter and the spirit of the regulations are fully respected,” the team said in a statement.

“Scuderia Ferrari expresses its appreciation for the timeliness with which the FIA and F1 have effectively tackled a fundamental aspect of the DNA of this highly competitive sport.”

The FIA was keen to avoid the case going all the way to the international court and will be pleased that they’ve managed to reach an agreement with all of the parties concerned.

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