Scuderia Toro Rosso has got some “splainin” to do.
Toro Rosso has been summoned by the FIA after it attempted to enter Carlos Sainz Jr.’s car in the British Grand Prix in an “unsafe condition,” according to a statement, via Crash.net. The Italian team reportedly submitted Carslos Sainz Jr.’s No. 55 SRT12 for initial scrutineering with a damaged wheel tether, but refused to replace it when asked to do so.
The technical delegate determined Toro Rosso had “presented the car in an unsafe condition for scruteneering” and referred the matter to the stewards after inspecting the tether himself. He found the tether was damaged to the point that some of the fibers were severed and had been tied together.
The FIA has mandated wheels be tethered to a car’s chassis since 1998, but ordered a second one be added to each wheel in 2011. And Toro Rosso interestingly was the reason for its amendment to the rule.
The team’s then-driver, and now reigning Formula E champion, Sebastien Buemi suffered a suspension failure in China in 2010 that caused both his wheels to detach from the car. The incident happened when Buemi hit the brakes at the end of a straight, and as a result, both front wheels continued traveling straight at very high speeds.
Considering the danger such failures present to fans, drivers and marshals alike, as well as the fact that Toro Rosso was one of the last teams to have one happen on its car, we can’t understand its reason for submitting Sainz’s car in the condition it did.
Thumbnail photo via Red Bull Content Pool
