Renault: ban 'excessive and unfair'

The lawyer representing the team, Ali Malek, told four judges at the hearing in Paris that the punishment handed down by the FIA is unnecessarily harsh, according to a report by Reuters.

"This case does not deserve more than a reprimand," he said, adding that race suspensions should only be used in cases of deliberate rule breaking.

"Was there a conscious wrongdoing from Renault? There was none what-so-ever. The only persons who knew were the two mechanics. Nobody on the pitwall knew there was a problem and the driver did not know either.

"There was a series of unfortunate events but no conscious wrongdoing."

The FIA stewards imposed the suspension on the team after Renault released Fernando Alonso from a pitstop in Hungary before his front right wheel was properly attached.

But Renault claims the mechanics were unable to inform the personnel on the pitwall before Alonso's wheel dislodged.

The lawyer representing the FIA, Paul Harris, said: "There is no doubt what-so-ever this was a serious incident. The car should not have been left out on the track.

"The mechanics are employed by the team and their knowledge must be attributed to the team. Renault cannot simply rely on their flawed procedures to say they could not communicate. Two wrongs don't make a right."

Renault team manager Steve Nielsen spoke to reporters after today's hearing. He said: "I've been optimistic ever since we got the penalty. We feel the penalty is unjust. We admit we did some stuff wrong, but we don't think that the penalty fits the crime."