Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest news regarding Formula 1 on Tuesday, July 14.
Tuesday morning's Formula 1 news roundup:
Kneeling 'against the Russian mentality' - Kvyat
© Reuters
It is a "personal choice" whether drivers want to kneel or stand amid the new wave of racial politics that is sweeping through Formula 1, according to Daniil Kvyat.
For the second consecutive Sunday, only a minority of the drivers refused to join the Lewis Hamilton-led gesture in support of Black Lives Matter in Austria.
"I already expressed my position last week," Kvyat, who was one of the dissenting drivers, told Russia-1 television.
"All of the drivers are united in the fight against racism," said the Russian, who joined all of his rivals in wearing black 'End Racism' t-shirts.
"But I am against kneeling. It's against the Russian mentality," Kvyat added. "We don't kneel just like that, there must always be a very good reason."
The intrusion of politics into Formula 1 has visibly divided the drivers, but Kvyat insists that gestures of that nature are a "personal choice".
"Nobody pushes anyone to do anything. Every driver, every employee in Formula 1 does what he sees fit," said the Alpha Tauri driver. "I think there's no drama in all of this.
"For some people, kneeling is fine, but I want to express my position in a different way, like some other colleagues. We are all calm, everyone is concentrated before the race, there are no serious disagreements.
"We all fight against racism, but everyone does it in their way," Kvyat said.
F1 should reject 'pink Mercedes' protest - Schumacher
© Reuters
Racing Point should get away with fielding its 'pink Mercedes' in 2020, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.
The Lawrence Stroll-owned team, which will become Aston Martin next year, says it is "extremely disappointed" that Renault lodged a formal protest about the legality of the car after last Sunday's race in Austria.
Red Bull, while not joining the protest, is apparently supportive of the move.
"I think everybody is worried about the Racing Point," said team boss Christian Horner.
"Perez was three or four tenths quicker than Bottas at one point."
But Racing Point said Renault's argument - that parts of the car are illegal copies of last year's title-winning Mercedes - is "misconceived and poorly informed".
The FIA has seized parts of Racing Point's braking system for analysis, and they will be compared to corresponding parts from last year's Mercedes to determine if any 'listed parts' have been improperly shared.
"I think Renault's protest is clever as it focuses on a component that is extremely difficult to copy on the basis of photographs alone," said Ossi Oikarinen, an expert for the Finnish broadcaster C More.
"Copying is quite normal in F1, but if you don't do your own development work, that is against the rules," he explained.
"If you take last year's Mercedes and put it on the track, that saves you a lot in development costs and is unfair. When you think it is about the constructors' championship, we're talking about millions."
However, Schumacher actually applauds Racing Point's strategy.
"In the current situation, modern Formula 1 must allow these things for the smaller teams," he told Sky Deutschland. "It is much more efficient.
"It's the only way small budgets will be possible again. This way, Racing Point has a chance to be in the top five, which I think is great.
"Honestly, I cannot understand Renault's anger. They have everything they need to simply build a better car," Schumacher added.
More transfer news from Formula 1:
Sainz may regret signing for Ferrari - Doornbos
Carlos Sainz might be the first ever driver who regrets signing a Ferrari contract before even racing a car with the Prancing Horse logo. Read more.
Constant driver changes 'not good' - Abiteboul
Cyril Abiteboul has admitted that Renault has been changing drivers too often in recent years. Read more.
Leclerc 'killed Vettel politically' - Schumacher
Charles Leclerc "killed Sebastian Vettel politically" at Ferrari. Read more.
Binotto admits car 'concept' may be flawed
Mattia Binotto has admitted the basic "concept" of Ferrari's 2020 car may be flawed. Read more.
Ferrari should have fined Leclerc - Briatore
Charles Leclerc should have been fined by Ferrari for crashing into his teammate in Austria. Read more.
Bottas, Hamilton set to sign new F1 deals
Mercedes is reportedly well on the way to signing up its current drivers for 2021. Read more.
Lewis Hamilton hopes to unite the grid over taking a knee
Just 11 of the 20 drivers joined Lewis Hamilton in performing the anti-racism gesture ahead of Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix. Read more.
Lewis Hamilton singles out Ferrari to do more to combat racism
Celebrating his win, Lewis Hamilton performed the Black Power salute - first on top of his Mercedes and then on the podium. Read more.
Boss says Haas 'happy' to welcome Vettel
One door may have just swung open for Sebastian Vettel. Read more.
Boss Horner defends struggling Albon
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has defended Alex Albon following a round of criticism in Austria. Read more.
F1 definitely moving on to Hungary
Formula 1 is definitely moving on to Budapest this week. Read more.
Magnussen 'not nervous' about Haas future
Kevin Magnussen insists he is not "nervous" that his Formula 1 career might be about to end. Read more.
Toto Wolff insists "everyone's perspective" must be respected amid a spate of racial politics in Formula 1. Read more.
Bottas predicts 'even better' form in Hungary
Valtteri Bottas on Sunday insisted he is still "full of energy", despite being beaten by his teammate in Austria. Read more.
Marko says Mercedes has more power than Honda
It is still too soon to declare that Mercedes' 2020 car is clearly faster than the Red Bull, according to Toto Wolff. Read more.
Renault lodges protest against 'pink Mercedes'
F1's governing body is looking into the legality of the 2020 Racing Point car. Read more.
