Formula E team caught using RFID scanner that could take live tire data from other cars

During the Formula E qualifying round today in Portland, Oregon, the DS Penske team was fined €25,000 after it secretly installed an RFID scanner at the pit entrance, which FIA stewards said was a And there was a hint of collecting data from race cars and giving them that. , an advantage. The team's racers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Eric Vergne, also faced pit lane start penalties for today's race - meaning they would have to wait at the end of the pit lane until all other cars had entered. Would have done They don't go ahead first. Caste.

The FIA stewards' explanation for the fine was provided to The Verge via email:

The stewards were advised by the technical representative that the competitor had installed RFID scanning equipment at the pit lane entrance this morning which was capable of collecting live data from all cars. First, it is generally prohibited for competitors to install or place any equipment in the pit lane. Secondly, collecting data by this method gives a lot of information to the competitor, which is a huge and unfair advantage. Taking into account all the circumstances, the Management feels that the penalty awarded is appropriate.

According to a 2014 article in TirePress, RFID chips are still used in Formula E tires for all youth motorsport, primarily to track the condition of the tires including temperature and tire pressure, and to encourage their efficient use. For. For.

For the 2023 season, Formula E has turned to a new "Gen 3" car design and a new tire manufacturer, moving from Michelin to Hankook ION. The Motorsport.com report of the off-season testing discussed how much of a challenge it presented for the teams and the possible reason that the effort to gather data from the entire field was something Penske was trying to do as well. Was. Doing.

For the 2022–2023 season, the series received sponsorship from Hankook Tyres, a report in Motorsport indicated that it presented challenges for drivers who had been using the same Michelin tires for the previous 8 seasons. Was living