Toro Rosso have angered the FIA with their entry into the 2017 British Grand Prix. The car has been deemed to be in unsafe condition and the team refuses to make the necessary repairs, landing themselves into some hot water.
Standard pre-weekend scrutineering was performed on the Toro Rosso cars in Silverstone on Thursday. During the inspection, it was discovered that a wheel tether on the car belonging to Carlos Sainz was damaged. The stewards requested that the team replace the tether that made the car an “unsafe entry”.
The team refused to replace the tether, leading to a summon by the FIA. A report by the stewards to the FIA revealed that the tether was damaged and several fibers in the tether were knotted together by the team.
The team’s actions show that they had previous knowledge of the damage and still attempted to enter the car. This puts them in violation of Article 12.1.1.b of the FIA International Sporting Code, which prohibits teams from entering a car which they know to be damaged.
The part in question is a safety mechanism that prevents a dislodged wheel from rolling or bouncing into the path of oncoming drivers or into spectator areas. This system has been used in Formula One since the 1998 season, following the chaotic and dangerous start to the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.
It’s unknown what action will be taken against the team, if any. It’s also unclear why Toro Rosso refused to replace the component.
