Szafnauer insists RP20 is 'completely legal' after FIA decision

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer has insisted the team's car, the RP20, is 'completely legal', after being found in breach of regulations by the FIA.

F1's sporting body announced prior to Friday's FP1 session that it would deduct the team fifteen championship points as well as a fine of  €400,000 after it upheld the protest made by Renault over the car's brake ducts.

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Speaking on the decision yesterday, Szafnauer shared his disappointment at the result after saying the team stayed within the regulations during the development of the car.

"My take is that the good news from the judgement is that the car is completely legal from a technical perspective, so we can continue to run the brake ducts," Szafnauer said. 

"It's just a matter of process which is in the sporting regulations. read the sporting regulations and there is nothing specific in there that says we can not do what we did.

"Other teams have done exactly the same probably lesser than we did or even more than we did in a way. So, it's a bit bewildering.However, we now need to decide if our punishment is one that we should appeal but like I said the good news is that we can continue to run this car as it is. Here and after it's completely legal."

Racing Point supported Abiteboul over brake ducts decision

With Racing Point admitting that it had received the brake ducts from Mercedes after yesterday's decision, Szafnauer confirmed the team did so before the brake ducts were moved to become listed parts.

Szafnauer revealed that the team had even supported Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul upon his decision to make the parts listed.

"There is only one part of the car that went from a non-listed part to a listed part which is brake ducts and I was in the strategy group meeting when we voted for this going from a non-listed part to a listed part," Szafnauer added.

"Some teams did not want this to happen and we were the swing vote. I supported Cyril wholeheartedly on this. We started this process well before the brake ducts were even contemplated moving from non-listed to listed. So, it pains me and surprises me."