Triple Eight fined for loose wheel in Brown pit stop
Triple Eight fined for wayward Will Brown wheel in pit stop
Wheel from Brown Ford rolled away from car during stop in Race 14
Team fined, avoided points penalty as wheel didn't roll into fast lane
Red Bull Ampol Racing has earned the ire of officials over a pit lane incident in Tasmania, with a wheel coming loose during a stop on Saturday.
The Ford team has been fined after a wheel rolled away from one of its tyre changers during a pit stop for Will Brown. Crucially, the wheel didn’t roll into the fast lane, and didn't impact any other cars.
The incident was investigated after the race, and Triple Eight was fined $1000, with $500 suspended through December 31.
Had the wheel rolled into the fast lane, the team would likely have incurred a points penalty and larger fine. Typically, teams are docked 30 teams’ championship points and fined $1500 should wheels roll into the fast lane.
The stewards report reads:
Fact A wheel removed from Car 888 was not in the complete control of the Team during Car 888’s Pit Stop
Infringement D11.7.2 During any Pit Stop all equipment and parts must always be under the complete control of the Designated Pit Crew.
Decision Fine of $1,000 of which $500 is suspended until 31 December 2026 on condition the Competitor does not commit a similar infringement before that date.
Reason The Stewards summoned and heard from the Authorised Representative and reviewed broadcast vision.
During Car 888’s Pit Stop, the wheel removed from the rear left of Car 888 was thrown to the side by the mechanic and it bounced and rolled some distance from the Car, albeit not into the fast lane.
The Authorised Representative explained that he was carefully watching the tyre change, saw the wheel roll and was ready to stop it if it had gone any further. He accepted that even though he was ready to intervene, because it originally landed on its edge, rather than flat on the ground, and moved away from the Car, it was not under the complete control of the Team at all times.
The Stewards determined that Rule D11.7.2 was breached and impose a Fine on the Team in the sum of $1,000. Recognising that in this instance no other Car was affected and noting that the wheel did not leave the working lane, the Stewards suspend $500 of that fine until 31 December 2026.
Brown raced from 12th to ninth in the race, and remains ninth in the championship heading into Sunday.
