FOM /Renault Racing Point denies whistleblower story
24.10.2019
R enault has an appeal against the disqualification waived at the Japanese GP. Reason: There is no additional evidence that could exonerate Renault. We also know that an appeal against a stewards' judgment would have little chance of success from a statistical point of view.
So why chew through something that could scratch the team's image. To get to the heart of the judgment. None of the suspicions raised by Racing Point have proven relevant. Renault has not violated any rules of the Technical Regulations.
Nevertheless, you are guilty. During the investigation, another system for regulating the braking force on the rear axle was apparently discovered, which Racing Point knew nothing about, but which could be called a driving aid in the broadest sense. And Renault is violating paragraph 27.1. of the Sports Act, which requires that only the driver controls the car.
Racing Point team manager Andy Stevenson makes it clear that the protest did not contain a detailed explanation of how Renault tricked the regulations: “That's not it our task. We raised our suspicions and listed them. After that, the burden of proof lies with Renault. You have to explain to the Stewards why everything is legal. ”
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The protest was prepared in detail. The dossier was ready in Suzuka.
Perez problem reminds Racing Point of the video
Renault assumed it was that a defector gave Racing Point the decisive tip. It is also mentioned in the FIA's judgment. Racing Point denies this, presumably to protect the engineer who switched sides. TheAccording to the plaintiff, the story has a completely different background.
Racing Point engineers therefore drew their first suspicions when a video of the shakedown of the Renault R.S. 19 in Barcelona appeared on YouTube. As part of the film day, a GoPro camera was mounted on Daniel Ricciardo's helmet. And that delivered razor-sharp images from the display on the steering wheel.
It can be clearly seen that Ricciardo does not change the brake balance even once during the lap. The corresponding switch is located on the left under the display. On the screen, however, it can be clearly seen that the percentage value for the “Brake Balance” is changing in the top left of the display. And that depends on the position on the track.
At first things came to nothing. But when the switch for the brake force adjustment broke in Sergio Perez's car at the British GP in a collision with Nico Hülkenberg and the Mexican had to drive the entire race with one setting, the engineers remembered those strange images from Ricciardo's helmet camera. (Click here for the>> YouTube video )
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The onboard recordings show that Ricciardo does not touch the switch, but the braking force distribution changes anyway.
Racing Point sends an inquiry to FIA
According to Racing Point, the Renault system was then analyzed more closely A dossier is created that automates the brake balance adjustment accordingly so that such a system can be used in an emergency n.
The team sent an inquiry to the FIA as to whether such a device was legal. When the technical inspectors rejected the proposal after the Singapore GP, it was decided at Racing Point to take action against the system used by Renault. The collection of evidence dragged on until the Japanese GP. They didn't just want to make a riot, they wanted to provide a well-founded explanation for the protest.
Racing Point engineers hooked up to the on-board camera recordings of Nico Hülkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo and captured the moments in which each otherthe value of the braking force distribution on the display changed without the driver turning the switch.
It was found that the braking force distribution always changed in the same places on all laps. Even when driving into the parc fermé. When asked what, in Racing Point's opinion, the rotary switch for the brake balance on the steering wheel is supposed to do, the answer is only one guess: 'Maybe the driver can use it to overwrite the automated system.'
