The #2 Cadillac V-Series.R of Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais has been disqualified from the opening round of the 2024 FIA WEC season in Qatar, after a stewards report published yesterday determined that the car raced with non-compliant bodywork.
This means that the team and driver points for its fourth place finish are revoked after a 3D scan in post-race scrutineering found that the rear diffuser strakes on both sides of the car were both higher and misaligned when measured against the homologated template.
In defence, Cadillac Racing team manager Stephen Mitas reported to the stewards that the bodywork was delivered without quality control having been applied, in error.
The stewards report recognises the infringement had no intent of non-compliance, but nevertheless order the car’s disqualification as it was outside the technical regulations.
The final result for the race therefore sees the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P move up to fourth in the classification, with the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 HYBRID inheriting a top five finish. The #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari moves into sixth, with the #35 Alpine, #8 Toyota, Proton Competition’s Porsche and the #20 BMW completing the top 10.
BMW Team WRT’s #20 drivers – Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde – therefore scores points on their Hypercar debut with the M Hybrid V8.
In response, Cadillac has released the following statement this morning: “During the FIA World Endurance Championship race in Qatar on March 2, the rear diffuser strakes on the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R were unintentionally out of specification relative to the homologated height. We have cooperated with the FIA and ACO and accept their findings.”
Ferrari fined
Additionally, the Vista AF Corse LMGT3 team has been fined 60 thousand Euros post-race, with half payable immediately and half suspended until the end of the season. The fine has been handed to the team after an investigation into the declaration of its operational staff at the opening round in Qatar.
Each team is capped on the number of operational staff that are permitted at race meetings, as part of a cost-saving measure for the teams in the championship.
The investigation determined that three engineers allocated to the team had not been declared as operational staff. Instead, they were accredited by Ferrari as non-operational, marketing and communication team members.
A lengthy stewards report has revealed that the three staff were observed during the race meeting working on simulation and technical applications. When challenged by an FIA sporting delegate, they failed to confirm their operational status.
At Qatar each LMGT3 team was allowed to field 16 team members per car, up from the standard number of 14, following a decision ahead of Qatar that allows teams to utilise two additional staff members for the first three races of the season. This dispensation was allowed to help the LMGT3 teams get up to speed in the category’s inaugural season.
Ferrari’s defence was that the trio had not intervened during the race for either LMGT3 car. This was rejected by the stewards, who imposed the fine.
The final LMGT3 result from Qatar is unaffected by this decision.
