Renault F1 Team Suspended From European Grand Prix

The Formula One race stewards are not fooling around anymore.

They have clearly become stricter following the regulations and many people would agree that they should after the Felipe Massa incident during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Renault Formula Team, has fallen victim to their foolishness as they have been banned from attending the European Grand Prix in Valencia in a month's time.

The ruling came after Fernando Alonso was allowed to leave his pit without his right-front wheel fully attached.

Alonso, who led the race up to that point from pole position came out of the pits and immediately realised that he had a problem. As he struggled back to the pits, the wheel flew off as the wheel tethers were not properly hooked on to the wheel.

The two-time F1 world champion, would have to retire from the race just a lap later.

The stewards claimed that Renault should be suspended for not just neglecting to secure the wheel, but also for failing to radio to their driver that there was a problem.

Renault entered the race on a season-high after Alonso secured the team's first pole position since 2006 and had set Alonso up for a three-stop strategy.

Renault's other driver, Nelson Piquet Jr. finished the race in the 12th.

Renault plans to appeal the decision, but if the stewards decision is upheld, both Alonso and Piquet will be forced to sit on the sidelines for the European Grand Prix, which takes place Aug. 21-23.

This was the second time in four years that a wheel has come off of Alonso's Renault after a pit stop during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In 2006, Alonso was fighting for the lead, when his wheel came off in turn two, which gave current championship leader, Jenson Button his first career victory.