Pink Mercedes 'positive' for F1 – Grosjean

Jul.18 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says it might be “cool” for Haas to explore a ‘pink Mercedes’-type solution in the future.

In Hungary, a week after Renault lodged a protest against Racing Point’s so-called ‘pink Mercedes’, a debate is raging about whether the FIA should simply allow customer cars.

“This is more of a philosophical than a technical question,” admitted FIA technical chief Nikolas Tombazis, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

Haas driver Grosjean makes clear that he supports the Racing Point solution.

“For Formula 1, I think it’s quite positive to see teams with the right to do a technical partnership with a big team and to fight at the front,” he told Canal Plus.

“Because seeing Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari all in a row, and then maybe the McLarens and the Renaults next, is not super sexy.

“To have a pink Mercedes fighting at the front – why not?” the Frenchman wondered. “If Haas and Ferrari did something like that, that might be cool too.”

Grosjean said earlier in Hungary that whether Gene Haas wants to keep financing the small American team is an “elephant in the room”.

“What is the point of spending hundreds of millions to create your own gearbox if you can buy it from your neighbour?” he told the French broadcaster.

The FIA’s Tombazis believes that Renault will continue to protest the results of each grand prix until the governing body is finished its investigation and is ready to rule.

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl says he supports Renault on the matter.

“We are generally not the friends of protests because they are negative,” he said.

“But in this case the FIA should clarify where they want us to go with the sport. Should it be a copying world championship with two or three manufacturers and the rest just copying?

“For us, that would be the wrong way and not sustainable,” Seidl added.