Renault cleared to race in Valencia

Share

Renault and Fernando Alonso have won an appeal against a one-race ban, clearing them to take part in Sunday's European Grand Prix.

The French team were punished after allowing Alonso to leave the pit lane with a loose wheel at last month's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The wheel came off and bounced across the track at the July 26 race, with race stewards subsequently ruling that the team's pit crew knew the wheel was not properly secured and failed to tell the driver.

Renault were hopeful the team's suspension would be lifted - and today motorsport's governing body the FIA overturned the ban and instead decided to fine the team just over £30,000.

A statement on the FIA's official website, www.fia.com, read: Renault admitted to the court that they breached the sporting regulations, in that they failed to ensure that (the) car complied with the conditions for safety throughout practice and the race, and that they released the car after a pit stop 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 have 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 (£30,600) upon Renault.

"The reasons for this decision will be published in a full judgment in the coming days."

With the ban overturned Alonso will now race at his home grand prix in Valencia, which is likely to prove highly popular with the Spanish crowd.

The incident happened the day after Felipe Massa was involved in an horrific incident which left him with life-threatening injuries.

The Ferrari driver needed surgery on his skull after being struck by an object dislodged from the Brawn GP car of Rubens Barrichello during qualifying at the Hungaroring.

The previous week, 18-year-old Formula Two driver Henry Surtees - the son of 1964 F1 champion John Surtees - died after being struck on the head by a wheel and tyre while travelling at 120mph at Brands Hatch