Lack of leeway over tech breaches "a bit sad" - Renault
Renault Formula 1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul says there's a "disconnect" between the move to relax driving penalties and the lack of leeway given for technical infringements.


In Singapore, Daniel Ricciardo was excluded from qualifying after a kerb strike led to a power spike over the MGU-K limit of 120kW.
When called to the FIA, Renault pointed it out that it hadn't occurred on the lap that got the Australian out of Q1, and that the time benefit was just one microsecond.
Read Also:
However, the stewards stressed that it wasn't necessary to demonstrate that there had been an advantage, and that the precedent for any clear technical offences was exclusion. Ricciardo lost his eighth place, and had to start from the back of the grid.
Abiteboul believes that some margin should be built into the system, and that for the good of the show less draconian penalties could be applied.
"It's a bit sad because we all know the fans want less penalties, that's obvious," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.
"It's strange because on the one side you can see that on the race track Michael Masi is coming with a new doctrine, the black and white flag, a sort of yellow card, so we're trying to be sensible about the regulations and the impact on the sport and the show.
"And on the other side we have this, and for me there is disconnect between the two that we can only regret because we were on the receiving end, and obviously you can't expect anything else from me.
"In my opinion in the future there has to be a discussion with the FIA on whether we want to follow more that system that is going on on the race track, or that strict application based on machines, not based on people.
"We will be able to save lots of money when we will be able to be governed by machines in the future.
"We're trying to be a bit less black and white on track. There are other precedents. The same thing happened to Pierre Gasly [a fuel flow irregularity in Baku] earlier in the season. I think some of the people at the FIA are losing the plot, in my opinion."
Race director Masi dismissed Abiteboul's suggestion, stressing that technical infringements are regarded as black and white.
"When it comes to technical infringements, Martin Brundle put it best, you're either pregnant or you're not," he said.
"It's one of those. I think everyone knows when it comes to technical infringements of that nature what the outcome is. You either are or you aren't.
"I can feel for Daniel, it was an error, and sadly it is what it is. Personally I think we're treading on dangerous territory when we're starting with technical infringements in particular building margins in upon margins."
One counter argument to Abiteboul's claims is that some leeway is built into the system in that technical delegate Jo Bauer often warns teams to address an issue without it necessarily going to the stewards, who then have no choice but to act.
It's understood that Renault had suffered similar power spikes in practice sessions in previous races and had been encouraged to address the issue.

Wolff: “Never say never” about Vandoorne, de Vries in F1
The realities of Hulkenberg's quest to save his F1 career

Latest news
Tandy: Night pace could fluctuate "dramatically" in Rolex 24
Porsche driver Nick Tandy is expecting the pace of GTP cars to change "quite dramatically" when they switch to the new cold-temperature Michelin tire in this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Diriyah E-Prix: Evans snatches top spot from Ticktum in FE FP3
Jaguar's Mitch Evans snatched top spot at the end of the Diriyah E-Prix's third free practice session, knocking Dan Ticktum off the top of the Formula E timing board.
Buemi: Diriyah FE pole pace just the beginning, "sad" at how Nissan spell ended
Sebastien Buemi says his pole position pace at the Diriyah E-Prix is "just the beginning", but conceded it left him "sad" at how his time with Nissan ended.
Bird's Diriyah FE podium a "reward" for Jaguar team's hard work
Sam Bird says that his return to the podium at the Diriyah E-Prix was an "amazing reward" for Jaguar's work after the Mexico Formula E opener.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 'holiday' races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week, and though it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted more just why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action.
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.