Japanese GP | Investigation against Renault spoils Ricciardo's happiness
A satisfied Daniel Ricciardo has a word on his amazing comeback on Japanese soil, but the party may be spoiled by a protest made to the FIA by SportPesa F1 Team.
“The team deserved this result today -claims an excited Daniel Ricciardo- We’ve been on a bit of a frustrating run recently without scoring, so to take seventh today is excellent."
If the Australian wasn't aware yet of Charles Leclerc's double post-race penalty that would promote the #3 up to sixth place, neither he knew about the investigation about to strike on the whole Renault team.
Indeed, at the end of the Japanese GP, SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team went to the stewart to report a supposed irregularity on the yellow-painted cars.
Renault is accused of running with a pre-set lap distance-depended brake bias adjustment system and the FIA determined that the protest was admissible. Represetatives of both team will therefore meet in front of the stewards in the close future, as a Renault statement explains: "Team representatives have met with the Stewards of the Event at Suzuka, but due to the complexity of the 12-page dossier prepared by Racing Point, a further meeting will take place at a future date, to be defined."
The french marque will prepare its own defence to secure its forth double-point finish of the season: "Renault F1 Team intends to use this recess to prepare an equally detailed case to rigorously defend its position."
If the investigation -no matter the result- won't deny Renault's great result, concerns are for sure rising in the french headquarters and not only concerning the Japanese GP.
The "well-deserved seventh [sixth] place", in Ricciardo's words, was for sure made possible by a "good strategy" and by "some enjoyable battles", and so it was Nico Hulkenberg's P9 finish. But in the case the FIA would find some irregularity the stewards will have to understand for how long the Renault cars have been racing with this system and take in consideration even big sanctions that could ruin Renault's whole season.
It's not a quick nor easy decision to make, but it's one that will make many people hold their breath for weeks or possibly even months. Meanwhile the FIA standard electronic control units and the steering wheels used by Ricciardo and Hulkenberg have been sealed and impounded in preparation for conducting a detailed analysis of those pieces.
🎙 “It was nice to execute a good strategy, we pulled through and, in the end, it was a deserved and quite comfortable seventh place.”
— Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) October 13, 2019
Daniel Ricciardo - #JapaneseGP, Race 👇
Full report 👉 https://t.co/quf3RfJxUT#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/VKNchoVOa6
