Aug.19 (GMM) Four rival teams backed Renault in the form of written letters at the Court of Appeal hearing earlier this week, it emerged on Wednesday.
Having overturned the French team's Valencia race ban, the FIA published the full reasons for the judges' decision, in which it was revealed that Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Toyota wrote letters of support.In the ruling, the Court said it accepted that "there was no conscious wrongdoing on the part of anyone" in the incident involving Fernando Alonso's loose wheel in Hungary.The judges said the stewards' claim at the Hungaroring that Renault "knowingly" released the Spaniard's unsafe car was "not appropriate".Renault argued in Paris on Monday that the only person who decided to release Alonso's car was chief mechanic Gavin Hudson, and the Court accepted that he "was not aware of the potential danger".The Court described some of Renault's pit lane procedures as "flawed" but said the decisions and actions in Hungary were "taken in good faith".The team's Valencia ban was replaced with a $50,000 fine and reprimand because Renault's "communication procedures were ... inadequate" and therefore "merit a sanction", the Court added."However, (the Court) finds that there was no knowing or intentional breach of the regulations," read the ruling.The Court also said the penalty issued by the Hungaroring stewards was "significantly inconsistent with (penalties) previously imposed (or not imposed)in other broadly comparable cases".
