Racing Point: Grosjean in favor of sharing parts

Racing Point copy Mercedes and miraculously finds himself playing on the podium? So much the better according to Romain Grosjean. For the French pilot, everyone should do the same, and the Formula 1 would be better off.

As a reminder, the team with the pink cars is running this season with cars almost identical to the 2019 version of Mercedes. It was fined 400 euros and had fifteen points deducted for having copied the brake ducts of Mercedes based on data provided by the manufacturer.

Haas, Romain Grosjean's team, was singled out in 2015 for fielding cars that looked very similar to the Ferrari. The boss of Mercedes, Toto wolff, recently compared the two situations. Asked about the subject, the Frenchman quickly brushed it off: " I do not wanna talk about it ".

For him, whatever the comparison, the technical resemblance between the manufacturers and the satellite teams is a good thing. “ I am in favor of manufacturers offering as many parts as possible to others. It’s cool to see a Racing Point qualify third at Silverstone and fight for podiums. What's the point of seeing ten teams with ten boxes and ten different chassis when in the end we're doing the same thing? »

According to him, Formula 1 should move towards this system of very close parent company and satellite team. “En Moto GP This is what is happening and no one is complaining about it. Last week Zarko was on pole with a Ducati from last year and an official KTM won ahead of a satellite Yamaha. »

In Moto GP, the concept is even more advanced than for Racing Point and Mercedes. At Yamaha, fabio quartararo, in a satellite team of the brand, has the same motorcycle as Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales, the drivers of the official team. But factories took time to accept this model, made possible by unique electronics in particular.

Are Formula 1 manufacturers ready to take the plunge and have their spotlight stolen by satellites? Even if Renault get along with it McLaren in particular, we can doubt it given the sums committed to development.

“But we have been doing the same thing for 70 years in F1…But today the time has come to limit budgets, especially with the coronavirus” insists Romain Grosjean.

The Haas driver believes that closer satellite teams would make the sport more attractive. “It would bring more fighting and more diversity on the podium, I would like it to be more of a drivers’ sport. »

Because the exceptional reliability of current cars limits twists and turns. “ Before there were a lot of mechanical problems so that opened doors. This is no longer the case today, the races are monotonous. Since the first morning of winter testing we have known thatHamilton will be world champion. That limits interest. »

Romain Grosjean adds one more vision to the vast debate on the future of Formula 1.