FIA suspends Renault from next F1 race

Published 6:57 pm Sunday, July 26, 2009

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Renault was suspended from the upcoming European Grand Prix for allowing Fernando Alonso to leave the pit lane with his tire not securely fastened to his car during Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Governing body FIA said that after reviewing film and radio recordings that the French team was “suspended from the next event in the Formula One” championship after it failed to advise Alonso that a wheel nut on his front right tire was not properly secured.

Thirteen laps into a race he started from pole, Alonso’s right front tire popped off as he rounded turn No. 9 and proceeded to bounce wildly down the track.

The incident comes a day after safety was called into question when Felipe Massa was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a stray car part struck him. The Ferrari driver remained sedated but in stable condition at hospital after suffering multiple skull fractures from slamming into a protective tire barrier at high speed during qualifying.

One week ago, an F2 driver was killed after losing consciousness and crashing into the barrier after a stray tire hit him.

Renault formally appealed the penalty on Sunday. It now has 48 hours to lodge the appeal and eight days to present the grounds of appeal.

If upheld, the suspension means Alonso would miss the race to be held at Valencia on Aug. 23 — one of two GPs held in the two-time world champion’s native Spain.

FIA said that that Renault released Alonso knowing the wheel nut was vulnerable and “being aware of this failed to take any action to prevent the car from leaving the pit-lane. (Renault) failed to inform the driver of this problem or advise him to take appropriate action given the circumstances.”

FIA said that radio transmissions demonstrated that Alonso had contacted the team relaying concern that he had a “tire puncture.”

“When I left the pits there was a lot of vibration and it felt like I had a puncture, but then a few corners later the wheel flew off my car,” Alonso said after the race.

Massa’s accident came six days after F2 driver Henry Surtees, son of former F1 champion John Surtees, died in a crash caused by a loose tire at Brands Hatch.