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Yuki Tsunoda could still lose his World Championship point more than two months after the Italian Grand Prix. The FIA has announced when Audi’s appeal against the stewards’ decision will be heard. The German team believes the Racing Bulls driver wrongly escaped a penalty during the race at Monza.
The FIA has scheduled the hearing for Wednesday, 25 November at 09:00 in Paris. The appeal will be heard by the International Court of Appeal behind closed doors. The international motorsport federation expects to announce its decision as soon as possible after the hearing.
Why Audi appealed Tsunoda’s penalty
The case concerns an incident during the Italian Grand Prix on 6 September. After a red flag, the field had to line up again for the restart. Tsunoda initially headed towards the wrong grid slot, but corrected himself and put his Racing Bulls in the right position. However, his car was positioned at an angle.
Race director Rui Marques decided to run an extra formation lap because of the situation. Under Article B5.9.4 of the sporting regulations, a driver who causes an extra formation lap must then start from the pit lane. If they do not, the regulations prescribe a stop-and-go penalty.
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Tsunoda nevertheless remained on the grid and was not penalised after the race. The stewards ruled that the Japanese driver was correctly positioned within his grid slot and that the extra formation lap had resulted from a decision by the race director. They also noted that Racing Bulls had not been informed that Tsunoda was being held responsible for the extra lap. The stewards therefore decided to take no further action.
Audi disagreed with that explanation. The team announced after the race that it intended to appeal and formally lodged an appeal on 9 September. Audi argues that Tsunoda did cause the extra formation lap and should therefore have started from the pit lane. Since he did not, the team believes the mandatory penalty should have been imposed.
Tsunoda could still lose his World Championship point
The outcome could affect the final classification of the Italian Grand Prix. Tsunoda finished tenth, earning his first World Championship point of the season. Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto crossed the finish line in eleventh place, just outside the points.
If Audi’s appeal is successful and Tsunoda is given a time penalty, Bortoleto could move up to tenth. A stop-and-go penalty that is not served during the race is converted into a 30-second time penalty after the race. That would cost Tsunoda his tenth-place finish.
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The FIA must now decide whether the stewards correctly applied the regulations in September. The parties involved will have the opportunity to present their arguments at the hearing on 25 November.
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