Breaking news
Formula 1
Wolff: Mercedes role in Racing Point case "total nonsense"
Toto Wolff says suggestions Mercedes may have played a role in Racing Point’s bid to copy its 2019 title-winning Formula 1 car are “total nonsense”.
Luke Smith
Published: Aug 18, 2020, 8:07 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Racing Point was hit with a 15-point constructors’ championship penalty and fined €400,000 after it was deemed to have copied Mercedes’ 2019 brake duct design.
The team has openly claimed it attempted to reverse engineer the Mercedes W10 in designing the Racing Point RP20 by using photographs of the car, doing so within the regulations.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the stewards’ ruling on the brake duct case proved this claim was “BS”, and that the rest of the RP20 car also had to be questioned.
The stewards’ ruling made no suggestion of wrong-doing on Mercedes’ part, but both Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto and Red Bull F1 chief Christian Horner have hinted at questions over Mercedes’ involvement.
Horner said that “questions will get asked” of Mercedes, adding: “If the team in question are guilty of receiving [designs], surely the team that has provided has also been in breach of those regulations?”
But Mercedes F1 team principal Wolff said it was wrong to suggest Racing Point had gone further than using photography in designing its car, and would defend any questioning of Mercedes’ role in the case.
“Copying the car more than from photos is something we would know,” Wolff said. “That is why from my perspective, it is total nonsense to pursue that argument.
“I will be defending our brand firmly if somebody were to go down that route.”
When asked by Motorsport.com if the suggestions made by Mercedes’ rivals was a consequence of being a leader with a target on its back, Wolff said he did not see it that way.
“I don’t think it’s related to being a leader,” he said. “I think Formula 1 has always been the competition on the track and also the competition off the track.
“As hard as we race each other on Sunday or on Saturday, we also fight the political game that is important, and has always been the case.
“The Racing Point case is an opportunity for your direct competitors to maybe push us hard and that has always been the case.
“We have a clear position on the Racing Point situation and in that respect it doesn’t really bother us, and it shouldn’t bother us, because the FIA have made that clarification.
“The little nudging that is happening around that is something that is acceptable.”
Read Also:
- McLaren withdrew Racing Point appeal after FIA assurances
- Renault pushing for Racing Point to lose all F1 points
The FIA has already confirmed it will clamp down on teams trying to copy other cars through reverse engineering from 2021, allaying fears from many on the grid.
The move prompted both Williams and McLaren to withdraw their appeals against the Racing Point ruling, but Ferrari and Renault are continuing with action.
Racing Point has also lodged an appeal with the FIA International Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn the penalty.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Horner: "Very little to choose" between Hamilton, Verstappen
Next article Red Bull has "a lot of belief" in Albon despite his struggles
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Luke Smith
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
Formula 1
Formula 1
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Formula 1
Formula 1
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Formula 1
Formula 1
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
More from
Mercedes
Marco Antonelli: "I saw the champion in Kimi after his Australia crash"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
4 h
Marco Antonelli: "I saw the champion in Kimi after his Australia crash"
Kimi Antonelli labels the "turning point" in F1 title-winning season
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
9 h
Kimi Antonelli labels the "turning point" in F1 title-winning season
Latest news
Lamborghini facing loss as Grasser Racing Team and star driver eye McLaren switch?
DTM
DTM DTM 12 min
Lamborghini facing loss as Grasser Racing Team and star driver eye McLaren switch?
Spire Motorsports suspends Carson Hocevar, parking him for NASCAR finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
17 min
Spire Motorsports suspends Carson Hocevar, parking him for NASCAR finale
Lin Hodenius, James Roe partner for Lone Star Racing’s full-time IMSA GTD campaign for 2027
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 37 min
Lin Hodenius, James Roe partner for Lone Star Racing’s full-time IMSA GTD campaign for 2027
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe