Red Bull lodge formal appeal over Ricciardo disqualification
CONSTRUCTORS’ champions Red Bull have lodged an appeal with Formula One governing body the FIA against Daniel Ricciardo’s contentious disqualification in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.
Making his Red Bull debut, Ricciardo crossed the line in second place behind Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, but was later stripped of his 18 points and podium finish for exceeding the permitted fuel limit of 100kg per hour under rules brought in this season.
Team principal Christian Horner insists Red Bull have done nothing wrong, describing the fuel-flow meters provided by the FIA as “unreliable”.
Horner explained, following the race, that the initial meter given to them had displayed “discrepancies” during Friday’s practice and that when that was replaced ahead of qualifying on Saturday it failed.
Red Bull decided to use their own sensor during Sunday’s race and ignored requests to change it by stewards.
The FIA must now set a date for a Court of Appeal hearing and the race result remains provisional.
Red Bull will need to prove the FIA sensor was defective and there were no errors made using their own alternative device.