Formula One team Racing Point woke up this morning with a triple nightmare as the team’s lead driver, Sergio Perez, tested positive on his second test for the Covid-19 coronavirus and will miss this weekend’s Formula One 70th Anniversary race at Silverstone and that was followed up by a loss of 15 points in the team championship along with a fine of $470,000 assessed by Formula 1’s governing body, FiA, for illegally copying parts of last year’s Mercedes car.
After having already missed out on last weekend’s 2020 British Grand Prix due to testing positive for Covid-19, Perez tested positive on his second testing for the coronavirus and was automatically ruled out for this weekend’s race and could also miss the upcoming 2020 Spanish Grand Prix as well. As with last weekend’s race, Perez will be replaced in the driver’s seat by Nico Hulkenberg.
As for the loss of points and fine, it came about after Renault had lodged an official protest against the 2020 Racing Point car and team, arguing that they had illegally copied the rear brake ducts used by Mercedes in 2019. F1’s governing body the FIA upheld the protest in part in handing down the fine and points deduction. Racing Point can appeal the decision if they desire.
The protest covered the first four grands prix of the season, and the FIA stewards said the points deduction was intended to nullify an accrued Racing Point advantage in those races but while the rear brake ducts’ design in question has been declared illegal, the stewards ruled that Racing Point will be allowed to run the rear brake ducts for the rest of the 2020 season as the penalty “covers the entire process of (non)-designing of the brake ducts and making them available for use during the whole 2020 season” and even though their continued usage “remains an infringement” of the regulations, the points deduction and fine are considered to be a sufficient penalty.