Force India livid over tardy numbers ruling

On the surface,  a team having to alter the position of its race numbers should not be cause for rage, but in the case of Force India, Andy Green felt just that.

The Silverstone-based outfit was hit with a 25,000 euro suspended fine at the Spanish Grand Prix because it failed to comply with the FIA's guidelines associated with the position and size of its cars' race numbers.

Force India did not appeal the ruling but has made the necessary adjustments to bring it in line with the specific display rule.

While not disputing its wrong interpretation of the rule, the team's tech boss Andy Green was apoplectic over the fact that its VJM10 had passed scrutineering several times this season without a word on the issue from any of the stewards.

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"I was livid. Absolutely livid. Because that set a precedent that should never happen," Green explained.

"There is no way a car can go through scrutineering several times. We are not just talking about Barcelona, we are talking about the fifth time it had been through scrutineering with exactly the same [numbers] position, and [there had been] not one bit of feedback from the FIA up until that point.

"Also, when we did revise the size of the numbering for that event, it was shown to the FIA prior to that event what we were going to do.

"So to then go through all those procedures and at the end of it say 'you are not right' and slap us on the wrist for it, it is just...," he added, shaking his head.

Green fears the case has set a dangerous precedent, where a car is deemed perfectly legal in one instance only to be outlawed later on.

"How do we know we are legal now? I've got no idea," Green added.

"We've gone through scrutineering but to me now scrutineering means nothing. The precedent that it has set is huge. Absolutely huge."

Force India COO Otmar Szafnauer said the team would bring up the subject at a future Strategy Group meeting.

"For sure we can stick that up at the next meeting," he said.

"But what we have tried to focus on doing was getting the number to be like they like it and we have achieved that. But the bigger question is, can this happen for something else?"

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