High-Ranked FIA Official Will Try to Reverse Renault Ban

Renault's chances of seeing their one-race suspension from the FIA overturned have grown these days, following media reports showing that a high-ranked Spanish official of the ruling body will attend the International Court of Appeal (ICA) meeting next week.

His name is Carlos Gracia and he is, as most of the Spanish fans already know, the president of the Real Federacion Espanola de Automoviliso (RFEDA). According to Spanish sports newspaper AS, Gracia will make sure the European Grand Prix will not go down without the presence of 2-time world champion and crowd favorite Fernando Alonso two weekends from now.

Also, according to the same source, it seems the FIA official will also be joined by another Spanish member of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) Joaquin Verdegay. So basically, Fernando Alonso is currently Renault's best (and only) chance of getting away with simply a warning from the FIA.

“If (the court) grants us the opportunity, we will set out the same arguments that we have put already in writing, to defend (Fernando) Alonso, the Valencia organisers and the fans,” Gracia was quoted as saying in an interview with AS.

Shortly after Renault was officially handed a one-race ban by the FIA, the organizers of the European Grand Prix urged the ICA to reverse that decision for the good of the sport. They argued most of the Spaniash fans that had already purchased tickets to see their local favorite Fernando Alonso at Valencia would immediately return their F1 packages for the European GP.

Considering Michael Schumacher also announced, earlier today, that he won't return to the series, the immense interest in the Valencia race would only evolve around Alonso.

The ICA meeting is scheduled for August 17, with the decision due to be made public the next day.