Rather than complain about the overall cloning of the Mercedes, Renault has chosen to focus on the details of the team’s front and rear brake lines.
It is clear that rivals have closely observed the similarities between the RP20 and the Mercedes W10 from last year, and Renault feels that there are enough similarities with the brake ducts to consider them a copy.
Here we take a look at the two designs.
At the rear of the car, the overall design of the brake drum, inlet shovel, vertical end fence, and associated fins is amazing.
Meanwhile, at the front of the car, more changes will generally be made over the course of a season, with the amount of cooling altered to suit circuit characteristics.
This also means that teams often have to change drum settings to compensate for cooling capacity with their aerodynamic demands. The W10 sported at least four distinctly different designs throughout the season.
You can see from this previous comparison image that it had at least one design that is similar, if not the same, as those used in the W10.
However, small geometric differences between the Racing Point and Mercedes ducts on the outside may suffice to placate the FIA technical representative.
But if they were identical inside with the pipeline, something that can only be copied with internal knowledge, then that will only strengthen the case of Renault,
Joining the internal flow structures will have a significant aerodynamic and thermodynamic impact, a gap that would be difficult to close for any of the smaller teams.
It will also be interesting to see if Mercedes has been asked to supply just one of their brake duct designs, or all of those that ran throughout 2019, as there were noticeable differences between them.
Listed parts
The brake lines in F1 cars are incredibly complex, and it’s especially important because under the 2020 Formula 1 regulations they fall into the ‘Listed Parts’ category.
This means that, unlike the suspension and brake assemblies that teams can buy from each other, the design of the brake lines must be their own and not that of another competitor or third party.
Any ‘Listed Party’ designed by a competitor or a third party means that it also retains exclusive design rights, as long as it competes in Formula 1. That may not be used by another team.
Based on Renault’s protest, the FIA has sealed and confiscated the relevant parts of the Racing Point cars and asked a representative from the Technical Department to carry out a thorough analysis and report to the stewards.
The representative is also authorized to request external technical assistance, including representatives from Racing Point, Renault and Mercedes.
Stewards have also ordered Mercedes to supply the front and rear brake lines used in the W10 during 2019 so that the FIA Technical Department can use them for its comparative analysis.
Comparison of Racing Point RP20 brake and Mercedes W10 brake
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Photo By: Motorsport.com
Mercedes AMG F1 W10, brake detail
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Mercedes AMG F1 W10 in the garage
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Mercedes AMG F1 W10, front suspension and front brake
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Mercedes AMG F1 W10, front
5 5/ /10
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Mercedes AMG F1 W10, front suspension
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Mercedes AMG F1 W10 brake detail
7 7/ /10
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Technical detail of the assembly of the front wheel of Mercedes
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Technical detail of the assembly of the front wheel of Mercedes
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Technical detail of the Mercedes AMG F1
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
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