The FIA confirms the disqualification of Haas at Monza
The FIA has decided to confirm its decision to disqualify Romain Grosjean and his Haas team following the Monza Grand Prix.
Upon the F1’s return after the summer break, the battle between Renault and Haas for fourth place was very tight. Both teams were also relieved of a major rival with the buyout of Force India, which saw all its points earned up to Hungary erased from F1 history.
Thus, at the end of the Monza Grand Prix, the American team moved up to fourth place overall, thanks to Romain Grosjean’s impressive 6th place finish. Although both teams had the same number of points, Romain Grosjean’s fourth place in Austria made the difference.
But that was without taking into account the complaint filed by Renault against its rival for non-compliance with the floor of its single-seaters. After long deliberations, the FIA thus decided to side with the French team because a technical directive published on July 25th required the teams to modify their floor by the Italian Grand Prix.
The American team then appealed this decision, an appeal that was heard yesterday by the FIA. After hearing the representatives and witnesses from Haas, Renault, and the FIA, the International Court of Appeal confirmed the disqualification of Haas imposed by the race stewards after the race.
Renault did not fail to show its satisfaction, immediately issuing a press release to celebrate this decision, in which Nick Chester, their chassis technical director, stated: “The technical regulations, and particularly the evolutions introduced for safety reasons, must be scrupulously respected. We are pleased with this decision and I would like to thank the Court and the FIA for their work on this matter. The team is now focused on the end of the season.”
Obviously, Haas’s reaction was much less satisfied and far more sober. Thus, Günther Steiner, its director, simply made a comment on Twitter expressing his disappointment but stating that the important thing is to finish the season well, which remains the best in the young team’s history.
With only two events remaining, the 30-point gap now separating the two teams seems too significant to be closed.
