The FIA’s International Court of Appeal has ordered Red Bull to pay all costs associated with their failed hearing to get Daniel Ricciardo’s second place at the Australian Grand Prix reinstated.
Red Bull appealed the stewards decision to exclude Ricciardo after it was found the team had deliberately gone against the FIA’s advice to reduce the amount of fuel going to the engine as, according to their data, it had exceeded the 100kg/h allowance.
Red Bull believed the FIA homologated sensor was inaccurate and therefore chose to use their own data – a system which hadn’t been pre-approved by the FIA.
The appeal failed and the ICA upheld the stewards decision. In a detailed explanation released on Friday, the ICA doesn’t believe Red Bull purposely broke the rules, but because the appeal failed, the outfit must bear the costs of the hearing in full.
“The FIA, in its grounds in response received by the Court on 9th April 2014, invites the Court to confirm the Decision on all points and to order Red Bull to pay the costs of the appeal,” read a statement.
“In addition, and considering the technical issues at stake and the fact that this was the first official race under this new technology, the Court does not find that the Appellant’s (Red Bull) attitude in Australia was fraudulent.
“Based on the foregoing, the Court finds that the penalty imposed on the Appellant by the Stewards is proportionate and that the Decision must be upheld.”
The full verdict can be read here.
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