From the moment it took to the track in Barcelona it began, as the media and fans observed the similarity between aspects of the Racing Point RP20 and the Mercedes W10 - the German outfit's 2019 contender - the Silverstone's car was referred to as the 'Pink Mercedes' and (t)Racing Point.

Ahead of the hearing which will hopefully decide the legality of the car, team boss, Otmar Szafnauer says his colleagues are frustrated and insulted by the constant jibes.

"Not for me so much," he told Reuters, "but for the guys in the factory, who worked really hard to develop this car to where it is and are still working hard to make further developments.

"For their work to be discounted, to say 'Ah, you've copied', or 'plagiarised' as I heard somebody say, it's absolutely not true and it has gone too far," he added.

His comments come at a time the German media is reporting that the Silverstone-based team has admitted buying a set of Mercedes ducts before they became listed parts, while also suggesting that Renault's protests are fuelled by a former Racing Point employee who has now joined the French team.

Renault claims that it is protesting the legality of the brake ducts for the future of the sport, with McLaren's Andreas Seidl warning that the sport risks becoming a "copying championship".

"In 2019, the transfer of information on brake ducts was completely legitimate," argues Racing Point technical director, Andrew Green. "And we used that data as a reference, a starting point for our brake ducts, completely legally. Renault are trying to impose the 2020 regulations on 2019, making it retrospective."

Szafnauer, who grew up near Detroit, compares the situation to the 1970s, when Michigan raised the drinking age from 18 to 21.

"You can't retrospectively look back and say 'now the drinking age is 21, last year when you were 19 you had a beer and you're going to jail'," he said.

"We've been accused of doing something that other people claim they don't do, which is absolutely wrong," said Green.

"It's absolutely been rife in Formula One for decades, to look at people's concepts and ideas and take them and make them your own. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 04/08/2020 13:42

"Racing Point would have to be naive to think that after admitting to massively copying the design of the '19 MB that they would not attract ant opposition. What i don't understand is why it's taking so long to deliver a decision? A brake duct, unless i'm wrong, is a passive component without any movable parts? Why the delay. Surely a comparison would be relatively simple. If Racing Point get away with this then customer cars would be one of the final nails in the F1 coffin if allowed. Slowly, very slowly we are seeing the Americanisation of the series. Titling, grid kids, US plagiarised protest ceremonies plus tacky visiual hoopla!!! I'm seriously concerned at the way the series is being manipulated."

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2. Posted by Lakota, 04/08/2020 12:29

"id say smart move. You wouldn't want to copy parts on Williams cars !!! "

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3. Posted by Wokingchap, 04/08/2020 10:14

"The Italian media are savage on this and Sky f1 commentators too, there's very negative comments every 2 minutes and of course they never mention Ferrari cheating."

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4. Posted by Fambank, 04/08/2020 10:06

"Life is a bitch."

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Szafnauer tired of 'Pink Mercedes' jibes

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