- Indian Grand Prix - FP2
Williams hit with second €60,000 fine for loose wheel
Williams has been fined €60,000 for the second race weekend in a row after another wheel was incorrectly fitted to Pastor Maldonado's car during practice for the Indian Grand Prix.
At the last race in Suzuka the wheel flew off at the fast Spoon corner, but in India just the wheel nut came away before Maldonado managed to slow the car without losing the wheel. However, while the stewards noted that improvements had been made to the design of the Williams wheel-nut system, they still felt a hefty fine was necessary due to it being a second offence and the nut coming away from the car.
"Examination of the parts concerned revealed that the wheel fastener had been cross threaded, thus not engaging the primary retaining plunger," the stewards' report read. "This is a breach of Article 23.12 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations as the car was released in an unsafe condition. The secondary retaining plunger failed to keep the wheel fastener in place. This is a breach of Article 14.7 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.
"The stewards noted that in this case the wheel had been retained on the car (unlike a similar incident in Suzuka two weeks ago) and that the cross threading of the wheel fastener contributed to the fastener coming off the car.
"Whilst the stewards accept that improvements to the wheel retaining system had been implemented the team need to ensure that both the wheel and its fastener are fully retained on the car. The stewards decide that a fine of €60,000 is the most appropriate penalty in this case taking into account this was the second offence, but on this occasion the wheel was retained."
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