The FIA announced late on Wednesday after a meeting in Geneva that Renault drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg have both been disqualified from the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix following the use of an illegal driver aid.
Renault's steering wheels and Electronic Control Units (ECUs) were impounded by the FIA at Suzuka following a protest from the Racing Point team.
The complaint from the Silverstone-based outfit accused Renault of exploiting a "pre-set lap distance-dependent brake bias adjustment system" on both its cars during the Japanese Grand Prix.
The FIA Stewards decision concluded to the following:
"The FIA Technical Department carried out an analysis of Renault's software and data and reviewed the submissions received from Racing Point and Renault.
"On Oct. 22, 2019, they presented their written report to the Stewards. This report contained 3 attachments dealing with Renault's software versions, rear brake controller and FIA Standard ECU.
"The FIA experts examined Renault's software versions used during the Japanese Grand Prix, offloaded data versions directly from the car and checked the car's rear brake controller, buttons on the steering wheel and the dashboard display."
In its defense of its case, Renault stated that Racing Point's charges were based on "allegations from a former Renault employee who was not aware of all the pertinent details of Renault’s brake control system".
©Renault
However, the stewards concluded that "while Renault used innovative solutions to exploit certain ambiguities in the Technical Regulations and other supporting documents, their system does not breach any current Technical Regulation".
Nonetheless, although legal under the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations, the Stewards found that "the Renault system constitutes a driver aid" and is, therefore, not in compliance with Article 27.1 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, which requires the driver to drive the car alone and unaided.
"The brake balance adjustment system in question acts as a driver aid, by saving the driver from having to make a number of adjustments during a lap," stated the stewards report.
The penalty for what has been deemed a sporting offense rather than a genuine technical breach is the exclusion of both Renault cars from the final classification of the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix.
Ricciardo and Hulkenberg are therefore stripped of their respective 6th and 10th positions in the final results.
Renault has the right to appeal the FIA's decision by 10 AM local time in Mexico on Thursday October 24.
Renault's exclusion now puts the French outfit 43 points behind McLaren in the Constructors' standings and just 6 points ahead of sixth-place team Toro Rosso with four races to go.
The revised results of the Japanese GP see Charles Leclerc (P6), Pierre Gasly (P7) and Sergio Perez (P8) all gain a position while Lance Stroll (P9) and Dany Kvyat (P10) enter the top-ten.
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