MOTORSPORT: Another blow for Ricciardo

Renault has had to remove an automated brake bias system from Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg’s Formula 1 cars after it was disqualified this week from the Japanese Grand Prix run 12 days ago.

The RenaultSport RS19s open-wheel racecars were found not to have been technically illegal, but the governing Federation Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) stewards determined the system was a ‘driver aid’ in breach of its sporting regulations.

However, the FIA is resisting pressure from other teams (in the absence of an official protest) over whether Ferrari’s power unit is legal in the wake of the Italian team’s performance surge in the second half of the season.

Paddock scuttlebutt is that Ferrari’s 1.6-litre V6 hybrid may now have as much as 33kW more than the long-dominant Mercedes equivalent and this year’s greatly-improved Honda unit in the Red Bull cars.

The Racing Point team had protested against Renault on the basis of information from a disgruntled ex-Renault employee and what it gleaned from on-board footage from the Renaults in the October 13 race at Suzuka.

It claimed Renault had a “pre-set, lap distance-dependent brake bias adjustment system”.

Renault said the system had reduced the driver workload without enhancing the performance of the car.

The stewards agreed it was not pre-set nor lap distance-dependent.

Renault said disqualification from Suzuka, where carsales.com.au global ambassador Ricciardo charged from 16th on the grid to sixth at the chequered flag (and Hulkenberg finished 10th), was “not proportionate to any benefit the drivers derived” and “inconsistent with previous sanctions for similar breaches”.

While claiming it had done nothing wrong, Renault opted not to appeal and will remove the ‘aid’ for this weekend’s Mexican GP.

“Since we have no new evidence to bring other than that already produced to demonstrate the legality of our system, we do not wish to invest further time and effort in a sterile debate in front of the (FIA’s) international court of appeal,” it said.

“F1 will always be an arena for the relentless search for the slightest possible opportunities for competitive advantage. It is what we have always done and will continue to do, albeit with stronger internal processes before innovative solutions are brought on track.”
Ricciardo thus lost eight drivers’ championship points and Hulkenberg one. They are both now on 34 points, equal 11th with Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kyvat.

Renault, fourth in last year’s constructors’ world championship behind the big three teams (Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing), is now fifth, 43 points behind McLaren (68-111), which uses the same Renault power units. Toro Rosso, with Honda power, and Racing Point, with Mercedes power units, are only six and 10 points (respectively) behind it.

So the French manufacturer’s team is now in serious danger of finishing as low as eighth this season.

Yet Ricciardo remains excited about the Mexico City circuit, where he memorably nudged Max Verstappen out of pole position a year ago when they were Red Bull teammates, although the Dutchman won the race while the Aussie retired with a hydraulics failure.

He says Mexico is “an insane place” and “a decent circuit with overtaking opportunities”.

“I love the stadium section. It’s slow-speed but it’s really unique with the crowd surrounding you in front and at the sides. It’s an insane experience driving through there,” Ricciardo said.

“The pole position last year was an exciting lap, putting it all together at the end.

“It was special. [But] if we can get into Q3 and be first of the midfield this weekend then that will be pretty good too.

“The target is to better the McLarens (driven by Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris) and outscore them,” Ricciardo said.

Toyota’s Ott Tanak will end the French stranglehold on the World Rally Championship if he’s 30 points clear in the driver standings after this weekend, with only next month’s Rally Australia then to run.

But the Estonian faces a double threat at the mixed-surface Rally Spain from the French superstars who have won the past 15 world titles.

Sebastien Ogier, champion the past six years with Volkswagen and M-Sport, could yet steal a seventh crown with Citroen.

And Sebastien Loeb, ‘king’ the previous nine years with Citroen but these days a part-time participant with Hyundai, could at least prolong Tanak’s fight until the Coffs Harbour finale on November 14-17.

Although Loeb has not been a full-time rally driver since 2012, he has won the Spanish round of the WRC every year he has competed in its since 2005, including last year.

While Loeb could be the ‘spoiler’ to Tanak this weekend, and Hyundai’s Belgian Thierry Neuville is the third championship contender (but an outsider, 41 points behind Tanak), the focus will be on Ogier if Tanak falters.

Ogier admits his chances are slim as he trails Tanak by 28 points (212-240) and says “we are obliged to come up with a result if we want to keep our hopes alive”.

“Even if our chances in the championship are now thin, as long as there’s a mathematical possibility we’ll be chasing it with everything we have to give,” Ogier said.

Tanak, winner of six rounds this season and five of the past seven, is comfortable that the pressure is on Ogier and Neuville to keep the battle alive.

“Seb and Thierry have to go all-out – for me there’s no need to risk everything,” Tanak said.

“We need to deliver … really deliver. We need to be on the big performance.

“[But] if we don’t do it here we can take the fight to Australia.”

The manufacturers’ title could also be decided in Spain, although it is more likely to come down to Rally Oz, which will be the last event at Coffs Harbour with the Antipodean round going to New Zealand next year.

Hyundai’s lead over Toyota is only eight points and the Korean squad needs a 44-point lead after this weekend to claim the title.