F1 team submits intention to appeal Italian GP decision

Audi F1 team has notified the FIA of its intention to appeal the decision not to punish Yuki Tsunoda for a starting infringement at the Italian Grand Prix.

When the field lined up to take the restart at Monza following the Charles Leclerc-induced red flag, the Racing Bulls driver was at a strange angle in his grid slot, having initially lined up on the wrong side of the grid, which caused the stewards to trigger an extra formation lap.

Article B5.9.4 stipulates that a driver who is the cause of an extra formation lap must subsequently enter the pit lane and resume the race from there, which the Japanese driver did not do.

He was investigated by the stewards after the Italian Grand Prix, but the decision was that no further action would be taken against him.

The reason for that outcome was that he was deemed to have been correctly within his grid slot, albeit at an unusual angle and that the race director decided to instigate a new formation lap, making the officials, not the driver, the cause.

Tsunoda went on to finish P10, picking up a point on his second weekend deputising for Liam Lawson at the Faenza-based squad. Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto finished P11, just missing out on the final points-paying position.

Audi, however, does not view the situation in the same way, and will now have 96 hours in which to lodge an actual appeal of the stewards' verdict.

Audi has issued a statement, saying: "Following the Italian Grand Prix, we 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.

"The Stewards issued a decision of No Further Action, and we have notified our intention to appeal. As the matter is now subject to the FIA appeal process, we will not comment further at this stage."