Renault on Monday won their appeal against a ban on Fernando Alonso’s team competing in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday.
Renault were originally handed a one-race suspension, ruling Alonso out of his home race, by the International Motorsports Federation (FIA) after a wheel flew off the former champion’s car at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
But they were given the green light to compete in Valencia by the FIA after Monday’s appeal hearing in Paris.
The FIA however has instead fined Flavio Briatore’s outfit 30 000 pounds for a breach of security regulations following the incident to pole-sitter Alonso’s car.
In Budapest Alonso was in the lead before his pit-stop when the right front wheel was not fitted properly.
It became loose and flew off, fortunately not striking anybody before ending up resting against crash barriers.
The FIA race stewards summoned Renault officials to explain why the former double champion’s right front right wheel was incorrectly fitted and why his team ”knowingly” allowed him to leave the pits with a loose wheel nut.
Renault team manager Steve Nielsen had said he was confident the team’s suspension would be lifted.
”I’ve been optimistic since we got the penalty. We feel it’s unjust,” he said.
The FIA, confirming the decision, announced in a statement: ”Renault admitted to the court that it breached the sporting regulations, in that it failed to ensure that car number 7 complied with the conditions for safety throughout practice and the race, and that it released the car after a pitstop when it was unsafe to do so.
”However, it requested the court to reconsider the severity of the sanction imposed by the stewards.
”Having heard the arguments of the parties, the court has decided as follows:
”1. to allow the appeal and overturn the sanction imposed by the stewards in the contested decision; 2. to issue a reprimand and impose a fine of 50 000 dollars upon Renault.”
Alonso will have a new teammate on Sunday with Renault test driver Romain Grosjean expected to take the seat of Nelson Piquet Jr, who was sacked after failing to pick up any points this year.
Alonso himself is on 13 points in the driver’s standings with Renault on the same number of points in seventh in the race for the constructors’ title. — AFP
