Renault lodging a protest against Racing Point at the end of a race has become part of F1’s most anticipated Sunday routine. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul says that the team protested their rivals’ brake duct design to enforce the fight against copying.

After the 70th Anniversary GP, Racing Point was docked 15 points and was handed a $400.000 fine as a result of the stewards’ decision. However, Tombazis clarified the team is allowed to keep the illegally designed brake duct for the remainder of the season, being reprimanded every time after each race. That triggered Ferrari and Renault’s decision to appeal, hence the FIA decided to address the copying matter more thoroughly in the near future.

“What we are seeking since the start of that process, it’s not a legal outcome, it’s not a degradation of the relationship between teams or team principals in the paddock” explained Abiteboul.

“It’s really some answers to a situation, to a precedent that has been set, a disruption that has been brought into the sport, and that’s what we’re after. We don’t think we have a clear resolution to that as of yet.

“We’ve been at the start of that process. We want to make sure we lead that process until there is a crystal clear outcome that cannot be turned around once things are settled.

“I’m not talking about a legal settlement: I’m talking about settlement in general. We want in particular satisfaction that the rules will be changed.

Renault demands clarity over the rules and is currently leading the fight against the copying issue, which is expected to be resoved by the FIA.

“We have indication that it will be the case – but until it is the case, in that environment we know that you can’t back off. So that is what we are after.

“We are expecting that F1 confirms again that it is a sport for constructors. Not just OEM, but constructors that design the whole car, that create the whole aerodynamic concept, and that each car is its own aerodynamic concept. That’s what we are after. 

"We appreciate that the rules are not clear, and that’s what we are seeking from the process.”