Force India has reacted to the FIA’s suspended €25,000 fine, issued in the wake of the Spanish Grand Prix, over the non-conformity of its numbers.
The FIA, Formula 1 Commission and Strategy Group, along with Liberty Media, opted to enforce regulations dictating the size of numbers ahead of the fifth round of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in order to aid driver identification.
Teams responded by enlarging the numbers on the nose section, with the majority running each driver’s three-letter abbreviation on either the ‘shark fin’ or the rear wing endplate.
Force India placed Sergio Pérez’s '11' and Esteban Ocon’s '31' on the top of the front tub, as well as on the top of the sidepod, but post-race the team was summoned to the stewards, believing its approach did not comply with the regulations.
The stewards concluded that Force India had not been challenged over its numbers prior to the race, and that the team had offered to “work with the FIA and rectify the situation immediately.”
During a filming day at Silverstone on Thursday, Force India’s tweaked livery broke cover, with the numbers moved to the front section of the nose – aiding visibility – with a three-letter abbreviation on the shark fin.
Force India occupies fourth place in the championship after its best start to a Formula 1 season, having amassed 53 points, courtesy of five straight double top 10 finishes.
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