In the recent turn of events at the Chinese Grand Prix, the Williams team finds itself in choppy waters, facing a summons from the stewards over an alleged violation of the Technical Regulations. The controversy revolves around a recent technical directive, resulting in the team’s failure to provide necessary footage linked to the monitoring of the front and rear wings of their Formula One cars.
Following the culmination of Sprint Qualifying in Shanghai, Jo Bauer, the FIA’s technical delegate, cast the spotlight on Williams. A document was issued, citing an alleged breach of the Technical Regulations, a serious matter that requires the team’s representation before the stewards at the racetrack.
The crux of the issue lies in Article 1.6 of the Technical Regulations, which mandates every competitor to ensure their Formula 1 Car complies with the said regulations throughout the competition. The Williams team is alleged to have overlooked this crucial rule in relation to the recent technical directive, TD034L.
This directive demands all F1 teams to equip their cars with high-resolution cameras facing both front and rear. The footage from these cameras is critical, enabling the governing body to scrutinize the flexibility of the front and rear wings of all cars in the field. This has become a hot topic in recent times, with the FIA taking stringent measures to limit the level of flexibility of the wings.
In the aftermath of the Australian Grand Prix, the FIA rolled out another technical directive, TD055A, setting new boundaries for the flexibility of the rear wings. Additionally, a directive under TD018 is to be enforced at the Spanish Grand Prix, outlining new flexibility standards for the front wings.
The monitoring of compliance with these regulations is executed under technical directive TD034L. The video files captured by the on-board cameras serve to ensure adherence to Article 3.2.2, which governs the permitted flexibility of bodywork.
The Williams team finds itself in hot water for failing to submit the video files recorded by their cameras within one hour of the conclusion of the first free practice session, as stipulated by TD034L. Consequently, they stand accused of violating Article 1.6 and are due to face the stewards.
The summons pinpoints the grounds of the violation as, “Alleged breaches of Articles 3.2.2 and 3.15.16 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations — Failing to provide the video files recorded by the wireless forward and rearward-facing cameras in the specified timescale.”
At this stage, it remains uncertain whether the team has not supplied the footage at all or merely missed the submission deadline. Both the FIA and Williams have been approached for comment, adding another layer to this unfolding story. Stay tuned for updates as this intriguing saga continues.
