Audi has formally notified the FIA of its intention to appeal the stewards’ decision not to penalize Yuki Tsunoda following the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The move centers on the application of Article B5.9.4 of the 2026 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations regarding extra formation lap procedures.
Tsunoda’s Grid Position Triggers Extra Formation Lap
The incident occurred during a Lap 6 restart. Amid confusion over the correct grid alignment, Tsunoda stopped in his designated 14th position but at an angle toward the inside wall. Race Director Rui Marques stated he was “not comfortable” with the Racing Bulls driver’s positioning and ordered an extra formation lap.
Regulatory Dispute: Article B5.9.4
The specific regulation at the heart of the protest states:
“any driver who caused an extra formation lap, and is then able to start the, or any subsequent, extra formation lap must enter the Pit Lane at the end of the lap and must start … from the end of the Pit Lane.”
Had this penalty been applied, Tsunoda would have been required to start from the pit lane and likely received a mandatory stop-and-go penalty for non-compliance. Instead, the Japanese driver escaped sanction and finished 10th, scoring the final championship point.
Stewards’ Verdict: No Further Action
The FIA stewards ruled that Tsunoda did not technically cause the extra formation lap. Their determination highlighted that the Race Director acted out of an abundance of caution, Tsunoda remained within his grid slot, and no other competitors were impacted. Crucially, Race Control did not inform Racing Bulls that their driver was deemed the cause, meaning the team had no basis to instruct Tsunoda to enter the pit lane.
The stewards’ written decision explained:
“The extra formation lap resulted from the Race Director’s assessment of the situation, rather than being directly caused by the driver of Car 22.
“Further, Article B5.9.4 goes on to specify that if a driver who causes the extra formation lap and is then able to start the extra formation lap, he must enter the Pit Lane at the end of the lap and start from the Pit Lane. It is only then, if the driver fails to do this, that the mandatory penalty of a Stop and Go penalty is imposed.
“In other words, the penalty is for failing to come into the Pit Lane and start from there. The penalty is not for causing the extra formation lap, if indeed, he caused the extra formation lap in the first place.
“A critical issue emerges here, in that in order to comply with the requirement to enter and start from the Pit Lane, a driver would need to know that he was the cause of the extra formation lap.”
The stewards added:
“The team, based on the fact that the car was positioned within its starting grid box in compliance with the regulations, had, in our determination, no reason to instruct its driver to enter and start from the Pit Lane.
“Accordingly, irrespective of whether or not the driver directly caused the extra formation lap, the team and driver were unaware that they were being considered as the cause, therefore we determine that we are unable to impose a Stop and Go penalty in this case, and decide to take no further action.”
Audi’s Appeal Notification and Championship Implications
The non-penalty directly affects Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who crossed the finish line in 11th place. A penalty for Tsunoda would have promoted Bortoleto into the points-paying 10th position.
Audi released the following statement confirming the appeal notification:
“Following the Italian Grand Prix, we raised a concern regarding the application of Article B5.9.4, which requires a driver who causes an extra formation lap to enter the pit lane and resume the race from there,” Audi said in a statement. “The Stewards issued a decision of No Further Action, and we have notified our intention to appeal. As the matter is now subject to the FIA appeal process, we will not comment further at this stage.”
Appeal Process Timeline
Under Article 15.4 of the FIA International Sporting Code, competitors have one hour after the stewards’ decision to notify an intention to appeal. This notification does not guarantee a full appeal will follow; it grants Audi a 96-hour window to further analyze the case and decide whether to proceed with a formal appeal hearing.
