Renault cleared for Valencia action

Renault and Fernando Alonso have won an appeal against a one-race ban, clearing them to take part in Sunday’s European Grand Prix.

The French team were punished after allowing Alonso to leave the pit lane with a loose wheel at last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

The wheel came off and bounced across the track at the July 26 race, with race stewards subsequently ruling that the team’s pit crew knew the wheel was not properly secured and failed to tell the driver.

Renault were hopeful the team’s suspension would be lifted – and yesterday motorsport’s governing body the FIA overturned the ban and instead decided to fine the team €35,000.

A statement on the FIA’s official website, www.fia.com, read: "Renault admitted to the court that they breached the sporting regulations, in that they failed to ensure that (the) car complied with the conditions for safety throughout practice and the race, and that they released the car after a pit stop when it was unsafe to do so".