Audi launch appeal over Italian GP stewards' decision

Audi F1 team has confirmed it has indeed appealed the decision not to punish Yuki Tsunoda at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.

At Monza, the Japanese driver avoided being penalised for a start infringement and went on to finish P10, picking up his first point of the campaign on just his second outing in place of Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls.

Specifically, Tsunoda was at an unusual angle in his starting box, having initially lined up on the wrong side of the grid following the Charles Leclerc-induced red flag stoppage.

Despite the 26-year-old being correctly in place, albeit in a strange way, the race director, Rui Marques, opted for a second formation lap, as they were not comfortable with Tsunoda starting with his car facing the pit wall so directly.

If a driver is deemed the cause of an extra formation lap, under Article B5.9.4 of the FIA sporting regulations, they must be moved to the pit lane.

However, given that Tsunoda was in his grid slot, even if unconventionally, the stewards determined that it was the race director, not the driver, who instigated the extra formation lap and that he was right to have taken the restart as normal.

Following that decision, Audi lodged its intention to appeal the verdict on the grounds that Tsunoda had been the original cause of the extra formation lap and that, therefore, his VCARB 03 should have been moved to the pit lane, which almost certainly would have meant a finish outside the top 10.

That started a 96-hour clock for the German team to actually file its appeal, which has now been confirmed in a statement: "Following the Italian Grand Prix, the team raised a concern regarding the application of Article B5.9.4, which requires a driver who causes an extra formation lap to enter the pit lane and resume the race from there.

"We can confirm that an appeal has been submitted within the 96-hour window mandated by the regulations. As the matter is now subject to the FIA appeal process, we will not comment further at this stage."

With Gabriel Bortoleto finishing P11 at the Temple of Speed, Audi stands to gain a championship point if the stewards' ruling is overturned.