Formula 1 News

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes fined $50,000 for gearbox 

The McLaren Mercedes team have been fined $50,000 by the Italian Grand Prix stewards over the running of a new lightweight gearbox in Hungary that had not been crash tested. The British squad, leading both championships, ran their new gearbox at the race at Hungaroring without a new crash test taking place prior to the Grand Prix. The gearbox did not require an altered crash structure from the one already approved by the FIA, but McLaren’s actions still breached article 16.1.2 of Formula One’s technical regulations, which states that “any significant modification introduced into any of the structures tested shall require that part to pass a further test.”

The stewards imposed a $50,000 fine after they found the changes had been significant enough for another crash test to be carried out. “It was the view of the FIA that the changes made to the original gearbox were ‘significant’,” the stewards said in a statement. The new gearbox passed the required crash tests after the race, meaning that, as far as the FIA was concerned, McLaren ran a legal car.

“The view of the Stewards is that the components having been satisfactorily tested indicate that the cars complied with the technical configuration required when they raced in Hungary. Nothing in this decision is to be taken as condoning the practice of retrospective impact testing resulting in the use of untested components but in the particular circumstances of this case no further sanction will be applied.”

source: autosport