Cape Town - The
FIA has rejected Ferrari's call to review Sebastian Vettel's Mexican GP
penalty, stating that the new GPS data submitted by Ferrari was nothing
new.
Under Formula One regulations, teams are permitted to formally request a review if they disagree with a penalty.
However, in order to do so they have to bring new information to the table that justifies their claim.
As such Ferrari requested a review of Vettel's penalty for moving
under braking in Mexico saying "a number of new elements" had come to
light.
However, the Mexican stewards rejected both elements, which related
to Ferrari insisting that Charlie Whiting should have told Max
Verstappen to give Vettel P3 after the Red Bull driver's off, and
apparent new GPS data.
The FIA statement read: “Scuderia Ferrari argued in its written
submission that the “new element”, in accordance with Article 14.1,
existed. In its verbal submissions it also argued that there were two
“new elements”.
“Specifically the Scuderia argued that the Race Director, pursuant to
Article 27.4 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, had the
“power” to instruct the driver of Car 33 Max Verstappen, to give back
the alleged advantage he had gained when leaving the track on a previous
lap to that of the incident involving Car 5 and Car 3 driven by Daniel
Ricciardo.
“Scuderia Ferrari also argued that the GPS data it presented was a
“new element”. The Stewards heard extensive verbal submission and
argument for all parties.
“In relation to the matter of the Race Director having the “power” to
instruct the driver of Car 33 to give back the alleged advantage, we
note firstly that the relevant article gives the Race Director “absolute
authority” to allow the driver to give back a position. It does not
imply an obligation to do so. The fact that the Race Director did not
exercise his discretion is not relevant to the decision taken in
Document 38.
“In relation to the GPS data, we note that this data is available to
teams during the race. It is also available to, and referred to by, the
stewards, in the Stewards Room during the race.
“When asked if the GPS data in any way contradicted the telemetry and
other evidence that the Stewards concluded showed that the driver of
Car 5 had steered whilst under braking at Turn 4, Mr Clear conceded that
it did not.
“Article 14.2 of the International Sporting Code gives the Stewards
the sole discretion to determine if a new element exists. Having
received all the written and verbal submissions and carefully considered
them, the Stewards decide there is no new element.”