Audi filed a notice of intention to appeal the stewards’ decision to take no further action against Yuki Tsunoda over his grid position at the start of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, a call that denied the team a point in a tight midfield fight.
Following a red flag after Leclerc’s crash, at the restart, Tsunoda ended up angled toward the inside wall in his grid slot. According to the stewards’ report, video evidence from multiple angles confirmed the car stayed in the correct grid box throughout, changing direction after Tsunoda realised he’d been heading for the wrong position.
Race Director Rui Marques called an extra formation lap regardless, telling the stewards it was his own call based on the car’s approach, and that he “was not comfortable starting the race with the car in that position.”
Racing Bulls argued that Tsunoda hadn’t caused a false start, since no part of his front tyres breached the grid box lines, that he’d had at least four metres of space to move off from, in line with guidance given at the drivers’ briefing, and that no other driver had been affected by his positioning. The stewards agreed on all points, deciding that the extra formation lap “resulted from the Race Director’s assessment of the situation, rather than being directly caused by the driver of Car 22.”
Under Article B5.9.4, a driver found to have caused an extra formation lap must start from the pit lane, but the stewards noted that requirement only works if the driver is actually told they’re considered the cause. In this case, no such message was ever sent to Tsunoda or Racing Bulls. The stewards wrote that the team “had, in our determination, no reason to instruct its driver to enter and start from the Pit Lane,” and even suggested the FIA “might wish to consider implementing a process to advise teams and drivers” when they’re deemed responsible for a formation lap in future, to avoid the same ambiguity recurring.
Tsunoda finished 10th, directly ahead of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto in 11th. In a statement, Audi said: “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.”
The team has 96 hours to decide whether to formally proceed with the appeal.
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