Although it’s probably no surprise, Ferrari has told the FIA they will appeal the stewards’ controversial penalty for an incident in the Canadian Grand Prix. The penalty cost Sebastian Vettel his first win of the 2019 season.
The appeal will need to be filed in the FIA’s International Court of Appeals and it could take weeks or months before the penalty is reversed, if it is at all.
It was originally reported that Ferrari would not have the ability to appeal, but the stewards’ decision states:
“Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Article 9.1.1 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.”
This is contradictory to article 38.3 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, which prohibits appeals for any penalty other than disqualifications or driver suspensions. This means that reprimands, time penalties, drive-through penalties, stop-and-go penalties and grid drops cannot be appealed.
This section of the regulations likely means that an appeal will be unsuccessful. Ferrari has four days to determine whether they will pursue the appeal.
