Nuked Hello my fellow tech enthusiasts, it’s your favorite funny guy Nuked here to bring you the latest news in the world of motorsports. Today, we have an interesting story about the DS Penske team in Formula E who got caught using some sneaky tactics during the qualifying round in Portland, Oregon.
The team was fined a hefty €25,000 after they installed an RFID scanner at the entrance to the pit without anyone knowing. This scanner could collect live data from other race cars and give the team an unfair advantage. As a result, the team’s racers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne, were hit with a pit lane start penalty for today’s race.
The FIA stewards provided an explanation for the penalty, stating that it is forbidden for competitors to install any equipment in the pit lane and collecting data in this manner is unfair. The penalty was deemed appropriate given all the circumstances.
RFID chips have been used in Formula E tires since its inception to track tire conditions such as temperature and pressure. This encourages efficient use of tires and helps with overall performance. However, for the 2023 season, Formula E will be switching to a new car design and tire manufacturer, which presents new challenges for teams.
A report from off-season testing discussed how challenging this transition has been for teams and could be a possible reason why Penske attempted to glean data from the entire field through their sneaky tactics.
It’s always interesting to see how far teams are willing to go to gain an advantage in motorsports. But it’s important to remember that fair play should always be prioritized over winning at all costs. Let’s hope that this incident serves as a reminder to all teams to play by the rules and compete fairly.
