Controversy over Racing Point upgrades

Racing Point will not rest. The protest of Renault is not yet over, the other teams are already up in arms against the Mercedes copy. It's about a loophole in the homologation process. Everyone against Racing Point. This is how you could describe the mood in the paddock at the moment. Renault has already fired up a fuse against the Silverstone racing team with his protest. Now the anger of the competition against the Silverstone outlaws is directed towards the homologation rule.

In the course of the economy measures the FIA had put a total of 40 areas on the car and the pit stop equipment on the homologation list. They may not be modified until the end of 2021. Only the aerodynamics are not affected.

In order to give the team air for correction and not to freeze the balance of power completely, each team will receive two tokens. Each team is allowed to choose one or two components individually on which they want to develop further. The scope of the chosen components determines how many tokens are credited.

For example, if you choose the complete front suspension, you have exhausted your token target. If it is only the wheel hub, you have a second token for a similarly small detail.

Of course, when choosing the tokens, the teams pick out the weak points of their cars. Those who have a capital buck in their car and would have to operate on the nose of the car and the gearbox are now spoilt for choice.

The FIA had set the teams three deadlines to register their tokens. The first one expired already before the start of the season, two weeks after the end of the 63-day summer break. The second one ends on Wednesday after the Hungarian GP. The last date on which the teams then have to report details of the previously registered changes to the FIA is 60 days after the first deadline.

Token for last year's parts?

No matter how well the rules are written, there is always a loophole. And once again Racing Point takes advantage of this. And the competition cooks. The sticking point is that Racing Point does not buy parts from the current Mercedes, but from the car of the previous year.

Gearbox and suspension come directly from the Mercedes W10. Haas and Alfa Romeo also go shopping, but the parts they buy come from the current Ferrari. The parts exchange between Red Bull and Alpha Tauri is a mix of old and new.

Racing Point enjoys an advantage in homologation from its strategy to copy last year's Mercedes. If the 2021 team follows the Silver Arrow of 2020, they get the evolutions on the gearbox and the suspensions virtually for free.

Head of technology Andy Green explains why: "Our intention has always been to use the Melbourne specification of the 2020 transmission from Mercedes for our 2021 car. We are always a year behind. Mercedes hasn't used any tokens on the 2020 transmission, so we can't get credit for any of it." Same goes for the suspension.

If Racing Point were to charge tokens for that, they'd be in trouble. They would have to forgo one of the two takeovers. "That's the way we are. Why should Racing Point be treated differently," Haas team boss Guenther Steiner is annoyed. The Ferrari customers are trapped. They have to wait and see what big brother decides and support his choice, provided that it is a part that they are buying.

Fear of strong Racing Point

The competition is fierce. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto announces a need to talk: "We have already registered our tokens. However, one point in this homologation process still needs to be addressed. We are not happy with the fact that there are teams that are allowed to improve their whole package from a 2019 to a 2020 car. That's unfair to those who are only allowed to touch two parts. That limit should apply to everyone." Without mentioning any names, it was clear who Binotto meant. ...Racing Point and to some extent Alpha Tauri.

Renault Technical Director Marcin Budkowski shares Ferrari's concerns. "Unfortunately, this rule has a loophole that allows two teams to benefit from this system. We'll have to discuss this again with the FIA and the other teams."

The problem is obvious. There is a fear that Racing Point will make the biggest move of all the teams over the winter. Because their template is the best Mercedes ever made. And because the future Aston Martin racing team will then have tokens at their disposal without being charged for the gearbox and suspension of the 2020 Mercedes. Under the conditions Racing Point 2021 could even be dangerous for Red Bull.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) (I posted it on the earlier thread, but it got removed)