Why Was The Protest From Ferrari Against Red Bull Dismissed By The FIA?

It was a wild twist to an once upturned Monaco Grand Prix: Ferrari protesting both Red Bull drivers without their win and a third-place finish in the principality. Without what felt like the longest wait, BOTH cases were dismissed by the FIA Stewards – but why?

During the hearing, representatives from both Red Bull and Ferrari were present slantingly F1 Race Director Eduardo Freitas. 

Sergio Perez’s specimen was fairly easy. The visualization document stated that “Ferrari conceded that [Perez’s car] did not have any part of its front or rear tyres on the left of the yellow line and conceded that the protest was unfounded.” 

However, Max’s incident was a little increasingly complex. 

WHAT DID FERRARI CLAIM?

Ferrari personal that “on the exit from the pits on lap 23, [Verstappen’s car] put part of its left front and rear tyres on the tarmac on the LEFT side of the yellow line.”

The Scuderia moreover believed that this was in violate of the Race Director’s Event Notes and that similar deportment had previously resulted in a penalty stuff applied. An example of Yuki Tsunoda in Austria last year was moreover referenced in the document.

Ferrari moreover personal that the Race Director Event Notes “indicate to the teams how they are to act and the teams undergo by them” plane if they contradict the International Sporting Code.

HOW DID RED BULL REACT?

However, Red Bull argued when that Max’s car was still to the right of the yellow line and that “there was no violate of the International Sporting Code”. 

WHAT DID THE RACE DIRECTOR SAY?

Freitas, who was on his second weekend of the job, referenced that “Article 5 of Appendix L of the ISC had reverted from 2021 to 2022”.

In an embarrassing twist, he moreover revealed that his Event Notes from the weekend had been a “cut and paste” from the 2021 version and hadn’t been “changed to reflect the 2022 Appendix L changes.” 

Awks. 

WHAT WAS THE DECISION OF THE PARTIES?

Red Bull, Ferrari and the Race Director well-set that Max did have part of his front left and rear tyre on the left-hand side of the yellow line, and that most of the left front and left rear tyres of that car remained on the yellow line.

HOW DID MAX GET AWAY WITH IT?

The Stewards moreover reviewed a similar incident from last year’s Monaco GP involving Lance Stroll but unswayable the following:

1. Article 2.1 of the 2022 Formula One Sporting Regulations provides that “All…officials..undertake to observe all the provisions of …the Code, …..the Formula One Sporting Regulations…”.
   
2. This places an obligation on the Race Director (and the Stewards) to comply with those regulations.
   
3. Accordingly, the Notes issued by the Race Director cannot contradict the Code or the Formula One Sporting Regulations.
   
4. Article 5 c) of Chapter IV of Appendix L of the Code stipulates that at the pit exit a car “must not cross” the line.
   
5. In this case, the car did not “cross” the line – to do so it would have needed to have a full wheel to the left of the yellow line.
   
6. Accordingly the suburbanite did not violate the relevant section of the Code and this takes precedent over any interpretation of the Notes.

Do you think Verstappen should have been penalised for the incident? Let us know in the comments below.