In 2021 it will no longer be possible to copy: ''Teams have signed document''
The Racing Point affair is now complete. This weekend it already became clear that all protests were removed. All teams have signed a new agreement for 2021.
Racing Point surprised friend and foe with their car in 2020, which looked suspiciously similar to the 2019 Mercedes. No surprise as it turned out because Racing Point had a lot of data and photos of Mercedes at their disposal.
Formula 1 against copying
''The affair highlighted a lack of clarity about the rules, which we have resolved for 2021. The document with the new guidelines has been signed by all teams this weekend'', Jean Todt, President of the FIA, tells the Italian Motorsport.it.
''The FIA makes and controls the rules and where other sports are trying to close gaps with Balance of Performance, we do not. We have ten unique cars with the same rules for each. Whoever handles them best can win. With the budget cap from 2022, it should also be easier and the new aerodynamic rules will ensure more overtaking'', concludes Todt.
No, they don’t copy but can have ‘engineering collaboration’ instead to design their cars together which can then come out looking very similar. Definition of copying from an Engineering viewpoint : “If a design already exist and you come up with an identical design, that is copying”. If two products are designed simultaneously and come out looking virtually identical, that is not considered as ‘copying’ as the originator of the item cannot be identified.
That's why patent has been invented. ...but the point here is another, and way more a scandal. World have never seen someone who has designed first not to protest against copycat and claim his right (even without patents). Therefore, we are SURE if Racing Point really copied without consent (drawings and part list), Mercedes would have protested first, strongly, and brought them (Stroll's team) in court. Mercedes agreed Racing Point had a W10 for 2020 championship, probably because someone (in Mercedes) thought beneficial for them to give competitors (RedBull, Ferrari, an occasional) an extra headache. In other words, what Bottas is doing, but with two more cars.
"trying to close gaps with Balance of Performance, we do not. We have ten unique cars with the same rules for each. Whoever handles them best can win" Not everything is right in that statement. Teams which have more money and resources will run away. Thats fact.400 ppl against 1000 ppl matters..Multiple projects can run at same time.There are good engineers in every team but more ppl you have more time to research and run parallel projects.Anyways you got it too late to implement budget cap.Now you have got it make sure you monitor it strictly. Thats were you guys lack.Give opportunity to other drivers to win.There are gud ones..its not only vettel and lewis ..who win in dominated cars without getting challenged and then ppl start all these words GOAT etc etc BS..
Moral of the story: Racing Point 2020 is a copycat of Mercedes W10. This already was prohibited, and deserve disqualify, but we don't disqualify you to avoid scandal, and play you did using (magical, like those X-ray glasses to see under clothes, plus the ability to define materials) camera shots , even if we know you got .dwg files by someone in Mercedes.
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