Stoffel Vandoorne drives in the Portland ePrix today. | Image: John Lamparski/Getty Images
During the Formula E qualifying round in Portland, Oregon, today, the DS Penske team was fined €25,000 after it surreptitiously installed an RFID scanner at the entrance to the pit, which the FIA stewards said could collect data from other race cars and give them an advantage. The team’s racers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne, were also hit with a pit lane start penalty for today’s race — meaning they will have to wait at the end of the pit lane until all of the other cars have driven past before entering the race.
The FIA Stewards explanation for the penalty was provided to The Verge via email:
The Stewards were advised by the Technical Delegate that the competitor had installed RFID scanning equipment in the pit lane entry this…