Brakes put on Renault over illegal ‘mass damper’ system

RENAULT’S efforts to win second consecutive drivers’ and manufacturers’ world titles were put in jeopardy yesterday when the team’s unique “mass damper” system was ruled illegal.

The FIA International Court of Appeal quashed the decision by the German Grand Prix stewards to rule the suspension device was within the regulations.

World champions Renault had challenged and overturned a ban by the governing body on the mass damper system installed in the nose of their car when they presented their spare car for scrutineering with the device fitted ahead of the German Grand Prix.

The Hockenheim stewards found nothing illegal about the system and approved the car.

The FIA, however, appealed its own stewards and the Court of Appeal met yesterday in Paris.

“The FIA International Court of Appeal met in Paris on Tuesday, August 22, 2006, to examine the appeal made by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile against Decision No. 8 handed down by the Stewards of the Meeting on July 28, 2006, concerning the T-car of competitor Mild Seven Renault F1 on the occasion of the Grand Prix of Germany and counting towards the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship,” said the Court of Appeal in a statement.

“Having heard the explanations of both parties and having examined the various documents and other evidence, the court quashed decision No. 8 of the Stewards of the Meeting and ruled that use of the device known as a Tuned Mass Damper is an infringement of Article 3.15 of the Formula One Technical Regulations.”

The system had been used by Renault since September last year, but the FIA said in July that it constituted a moveable aerodynamic device and was therefore illegal.

The world champions did not use the system in either Germany or Hungary for fear of eventual disqualification if the FIA won the appeal.

In the wake of the decision, Renault team boss Flavio Briatore believes this year’s championships could be decided in the final race of the season.

World champion Fernando Alonso has seen a 25-point gap to Michael Schumacher reduced to just 10 after the Ferrari driver won three races in a row. In the last race in Hungary, both men retired, but Schumacher scored a point to close in on his rival.

With five races remaining, Briatore believes the title battle is set to go down to the wire.

“What is certain is that the championship will be decided in the last two races,” Briatore said. “By now the technical parity between us and Ferrari is pretty much absolute.

“What will be decisive will be details, the many small variables.”

The Italian team boss also highlighted the importance of not making any mistakes in the remaining races, and reckons Alonso, not Schumacher, missed a big chance in Hungary.

Alonso retired from the race when in the lead, while Schumacher gambled with his tyres when running in second and eventually was forced to retire.