Copying is a part of Formula One and Racing Point has just taken it further than other teams with its new car, the sport's managing director Ross Brawn said on Monday.
Renault have lodged official protests for the past two races against the 'Pink Mercedes', questioning the legality of the car's brake ducts. An investigation is unlikely to produce a verdict for some weeks.
Mercedes-powered Racing Point say they have broken no rules even if their car looks just like last year's title-winning Mercedes.
"My view is copying in Formula One is standard," said Brawn, a former Honda and Mercedes team boss who also won titles with his own eponymous team, in a column on the Formula One website after Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.