Racing Point expect decision in ‘couple of months’

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Toto Wolff Racing Point

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer says he and the team are expecting to wait a “couple of months” for a decision regarding appeals.

After the FIA opted to fine them 400,000 Euros and deduct them 15 points for apparently copying Mercedes’ 2019 brake ducts, they quickly appealed the decision.

Renault and Ferrari meanwhile, also appealed it, feeling that the punishment for the crime wasn’t harsh enough.

The matter will now go to the FIA Court of Appeal, and based on past experiences, Szafnauer isn’t expecting the trial to go ahead any time soon.

“[There’s] no indication on timeline. I can only go by my experiences from in the past and it seems like these things usually take a couple of months,” he told Sky Sports.

“I think a big part of it is getting the right judges, clearing their calendars, making sure all the judges – I believe there’s five – can come together at the same time.

“These are busy people that have day jobs, too, so it’s a little bit based around that as well as preparation. So I don’t know, we haven’t been given a timeline, but just from past experience it’s usually couple of months.

“We want to clear our name. You saw what the stewards have said and we want to go ahead and have our day in court to clear our name. We did nothing wrong. The stewards admitted we didn’t do anything deliberately and the rules were unclear.”

Racing Point RP20 Sergio perez
Racing Point RP20 Sergio perez

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Red Bull team boss Christian Horner meanwhile doubts that it will even reach court, believing that the parties involved will reach a deal beforehand.

“Off-track obviously that appeal process has gone in, I don’t think there’s any chance in hell that it will end up in an appeal court,” he told Channel 4.

“I think both teams are positioning and negotiating behind the scenes, and the appeal is to effectively barter, whether it’s between the teams or the FIA, to get to a conclusion over what is and isn’t allowed and to keep all sides honest.

“I think ultimately, at the eleventh hour, miraculously a deal will be done that offers clarity.”

Horner and Red Bull are spectators in the case, having chosen not to get involved themselves.

McLaren meanwhile, initially planned to appeal with Renault and Ferrari. However, they later changed their mind, most likely after an intervention from Mercedes, who will be their engine supplier next season.

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