Motor racing: Renault ask FIA to drop Racing Point appeal

(Reuters) - Renault have requested Formula One's governing body FIA to withdraw its appeal against the punishment imposed on Racing Point for copying Mercedes' brake ducts, the French team said on Tuesday.

Stewards docked Racing Point 15 points and fined 400,000 euros ($473,360) for a breach of the sporting regulations at every race since the Austrian season-opener.

Renault had joined Ferrari in protesting the stewards' decision, seeking stricter punishment against Racing Point.

But Renault have now decided against taking the matter to FIA's International Court of Appeal, leaving Ferrari the only team still chasing the matter.

"Beyond the decisions, the matters at issue were vital to the integrity of Formula One, both during the current season and in the future," Renault said in a statement.

"However, intensive and constructive work between the FIA, Renault... and all Formula One stakeholders has led to concrete progress in safeguarding the originality in the sport by way of amendments to the Sporting and Technical Regulations planned for the 2021 racing season, confirming the requirements to qualify as a constructor.

"Reaching this strategic objective, in the context of the new Concorde Agreement, was our priority. The controversy of the start of this season should be put behind us, as we need to focus on the remainder of an intense and unique championship."

Racing Point, whose 2020 car is a close copy of last year's Mercedes, were allowed to continue competing without having to redesign the offending parts.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)