In the round-up: Toyota have been given a suspended fine after their team manager criticised the FIA’s Balance of Performance system.
In brief
Toyota committed “serious breach” with BoP comments
The FIA has fined Toyota €10,000, suspended for the remainder of the year, over comments made by team director Rob Leupen regarding the World Endurance Championship’s Balance of Performance system.
The WEC’s regulations state “manufacturers, competitors, drivers and any persons or entities associated with their entries must not seek to influence the establishment of the BoP or comment on the results, in particular through public statements, the media and social networks.”
Leupen was reported to have criticised the FIA’s change to the BoP prior to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2023, which was the only round of that championship Toyota did not win, and described the 2024 BoP process as “not transparent,” adding that “in the future, honesty is required.”
The stewards ruled Leupen’s comments “call into question the impartiality of the FIA, cast suspicion on its integrity, and thus causes moral harm” and “have the direct consequence of casting doubt on the integrity of the sporting results of the championship and damaging their credibility.”
They chose to impose a suspended fine as the rule prohibiting discussion of the BoP has not previously been applied. However the stewards advised other competitors to bear their decision in mind.
“The stewards consider this a serious breach of the regulations, but given that this is the first application of these regulations in the championship, chose to suspend the fine for the balance of 2024 subject to there being no further violations of these regulations by anyone associated with the competitor,” they stated. “All competitors are put on notice that future violations may not receive a suspended penalty.”
Leupen requested the stewards consider his comments as they were reported in Dutch, but due to the absence of a translator an English translation was used instead, and Leupen was invited to submit corrections to it.
IndyCar has same weight problem as F1 – Power
Will Power says IndyCar faces the same problem as Formula 1 in that its cars have become too heavy. The series added hybrid power system to its cars two rounds ago at Mid-Ohio but drivers have warned the heavier cars do not race as well as they previously did.
“I just wonder if the car is simply too heavy now,” he said….
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