Hearing set for Audi appeal against rival

The FIA has announced that Audi’s appeal against Yuki Tsunoda not getting a penalty at Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix will be heard on November 25.

Audi complained after the Monza race for what it felt was an incorrect application of the rules against Tsunoda for an alleged grid infringement at the restart.

Tsunoda had been due to line up 14th but, after mistakenly initially heading towards the 15th-place grid slot, he veered at the last-minute to the right-hand side.

While he was able to come to a stop within his intended grid slot, so therefore was not out of position over the front, his Racing Bulls car had ended up at an angle.

That was enough for race director Rui Marques to decide to go for another formation lap because, according to a later stewards' document, "he stated he was not comfortable starting the race with the car in that position".

Tsunoda’s actions had triggered an FIA stewards’ investigation because drivers that cause an extra formation lap are deemed to be in breach of the rules.

Any driver who causes an additional formation lap but is able to start that lap is required to "enter the pitlane at the end of the lap and must start the [session] from the end of the pitlane".

With Tsunoda not serving that, F1's sporting regulations state that any unserved stop-and-go penalty is converted to a 30-second post-race time penalty.

Racing Bulls argued, however, that Tsunoda had not caused the extra formation lap - as he was still within his grid box and was not impacting any other drivers.

The stewards accepted that position and felt that Tsunoda himself had not been the “cause” of the extra formation lap – which was instead down to Marques’ own choice.

Audi complained, though, as it felt that Tsunoda had indeed been the catalyst for the extra formation lap.

It said in a short statement after Monza that it had "raised a concern regarding the application of Article B5.9.4".

Audi would stand to benefit were Tsunoda to be penalised, because a 30-second sanction would drop him to 15th - with Gabriel Bortoleto being promoted to 10th.

The matter will now be heard at the FIA’s International Court of Appeal in Paris on November 25. The hearing will take place behind closed doors at the request of the FIA, so no public nor media will be allowed to attend.