Ferrari officially confirm Racing Point appeal in Mercedes copy row. Ferrari first to confirm Racing Point appeal.

Scuderia Ferrari have officially become the first team to confirm they are pressing ahead with their appeal against the decision on Racing Point’s car in Formula 1’s ‘copying’ row. Five teams – half of the 2020 grid – had lodged intentions to appeal aspects of the stewards’ decision to fine Racing Point and dock them 15 points, which was delivered at Silverstone last Friday and promoted a huge off-track dispute among teams.

Stewards ruled that rear brake ducts on Racing Point’s car contravened F1’s sporting regulations, in a case centred on the way they came to design them and their resemblance to those Mercedes ran in 2019.

Ferrari, Renault, Williams and McLaren were unhappy the sanction did not go further, and that their rivals could continue using the same design without further penalty. Racing Point have strongly vowed to contest the decision having maintained their innocence throughout.

All five teams had until Wednesday morning to make their appeal plans official, which Ferrari have now done with the FIA. It means the case will go to the FIA’s Court of Appeal.

Racing Point’s 2020 car caught the attention of midfield rivals from almost when it was launched and hit the track in February owing to its resemblance to the title-winning 2019 Mercedes, the W10. The team have since made a fast start to the delayed season and, without their points deduction, would be third in the standings.

The ‘copying’ of rival teams’ cars – from digital photographs, for instance – is not illegal in Formula 1 and Racing Point have been clear that they have adopted Mercedes’ successful design philosophy for this year. While teams can buy certain parts from other teams, technical regulations state that other ‘listed parts’ must be designed completely by teams themselves. Brake ducts were added to that prescribed list for 2020, having previously been non-listed, meaning designs could have been legally shared by teams in 2019.

Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll has vowed to clear his team’s name – which has been “dragged through the mud” while team boss Otmar Szafnauer said he would welcome appeals from rival outfits as “he more you dig, the better off it is for us”.