Gabriel Bortoleto defended Audi’s decision to proceed with the appeal against Yuki Tsunoda’s penalty at the Italian Grand Prix in Formula 1. If the penalty is applied, the Brazilian could move up to tenth place in the final results, earning an additional point for the championship.
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All the events took place before the restart after Charles Leclerc’s accident. Rui Marques, race director, considered the way the Japanese driver positioned himself on the grid, heading towards the pit wall, inappropriate, and therefore, a new formation lap was conducted.
According to article B5.9.4 of this year’s F1 sporting regulations, a driver responsible for causing a new formation lap must enter the pits at the end of the lap and start from the pit lane.
The stewards accepted Racing Bulls’ arguments that Tsunoda was not out of position on the grid and did not hinder anyone. However, for Audi, the regulations are clear about the consequences for a driver who forces a new formation lap, and for this reason, they filed an appeal.
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“I think the rules are very clear: when a driver causes the next formation lap, he must start from the pit lane. And, in this case, Yuki did not do that. So, I think that’s why Audi is filing an appeal,” said Bortoleto.
“We are filing an appeal against the results. For us, if we gain the position, it counts as a point. Therefore, every point is important. And, in the end, what is right is right,” he concluded.
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