The FIA has announced that the International Court of Appeal will hear Renault's appeal against its suspension from the European Grand Prix on August 17. The hearing will start at 10am in Paris, with the verdict due to be released on the afternoon of August 18. Renault was punished after race stewards ruled that Fernando Alonso was knowing released from his pitstop without the wheel-nut retaining device securely in place and that Renault failed to take any action to stop the car leaving the pitlane.They also found that Renault did not inform Alonso of the problem or ask him to stop, leading to his front right wheel falling off exiting Turn 9. The stewards concluded that Renault had violated Article 3.2 of F1's Sporting Regulations, which insists that "competitors must ensure that their cars comply with the conditions of eligibility and safety throughout practice and the race."
Renault was also found to be in violation of Article 23.1, which calls for cars to be released from a pitstop only "when it is safe." Should Renault's appeal be upheld, it will be allowed to participate in the European Grand Prix on August 23.
