Renault has been disqualified from the results of the Japanese Grand Prix after an investigation into the team’s brake adjustment system by the FIA.
The decision by Formula 1's governing body means drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg will lose their sixth and tenth place finishes respectively.
Renault’s R.S.19 had been found legal, but the system being used was determined to be a driver aid which contravenes Article 27.1 of the sporting regulations which ultimately led to the decision to disqualify the team from the results.
It was revealed after the race that rival team Racing Point had handed the FIA a 12-page document that accused Renault of using a pre-set lap distance-dependent brake bias adjustment system.
The FIA documents also revealed the accusation may have come from a former Renault employee.
Racing Point had accused the French outfit of using powered devices to change the brake bias on the car without any input from the driver during a lap.
Renault had insisted their adjustment system was not doing such acts and was therefore legal. Full details of their systems were made available to the FIA which has meant details have been kept confidential and not made available to the public.
The stewards’ decision came to the conclusion:
– The rear brake controller software used by Renault is an integral part of the control system referred to in Article 11.9 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. As such, it is used in compliance with Article 11.1.3 and 11.1.4 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.
– The described control system is not pre-set, lap distance-dependent as alleged.
– Renault drivers use buttons mounted on the steering wheel to control brake balance in compliance with Article 8.6.3 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. These are connected to the FIA Standard ECU.
– Given the above, the Stewards conclude that while Renault used innovative solutions to exploit certain ambiguities in the Technical Regulations and other supporting documents, their system does not breach any current Technical Regulation.
The result of the FIA’s decision has meant the French marquee has lost nine points to midfield rivals McLaren in the race for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship and now lie just six points clear of Toro Rosso in sixth, with Racing Point only a further four points behind.
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