Racing Point’s Lance Stroll in action during a practice session at the Silverstone Circuit July 31, 2020.
SILVERSTONE: Formula One team Racing Point will be docked 15 championship points after a complaint from rivals Renault that it had copied elements from Mercedes’ world championship-winning 2019 car was upheld, the FIA said Friday.
Racing Point will lose 7.5 points for each of its two cars participating in the 2020 season.
It means that ahead of Sunday’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, Renault move up to fifth place in the manufacturers’ standings on 32 points and Racing Point slip to sixth, on 27 points.
Racing Point, owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll and powered by Mercedes engines, has also been fined €200,000 (RM989,736) per car.
Racing Point can appeal the decision.
No penalties were imposed on the team’s regular drivers, the Mexican Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, the son of the team’s owner.
Perez has been ruled out of Sunday’s race after testing positive again for coronavirus, meaning he misses a second consecutive race.
He will replaced by German driver Nico Hulkenberg, as he was for last week’s British Grand Prix.
Renault’s case centres on the design of Racing Point’s brake ducts, which it alleges are copies of those Mercedes used on its world championship-winning 2019 car.
