Audi appeals stewards' decision to spare Tsunoda penalty at Italian GP

Audi has filed a notice of intention to appeal with the FIA after stewards chose not to penalise Yuki Tsunoda for his role in an extra formation lap during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, a decision that left Gabriel Bortoleto one place and one point short in 11th.

The incident stemmed from a lap-six restart, during which Tsunoda parked in his correct 14th grid slot but at an angle towards the inside wall. Race director Rui Marques, describing himself as “not comfortable” with the position, ordered an additional formation lap. Under Article B5.9.4 of the 2026 F1 sporting regulations, any driver who causes an extra formation lap must enter the pit lane at the end of that lap and start from its exit.

The stewards, however, ruled that Tsunoda had not technically caused the extra lap. Their verdict stated that the additional lap “resulted from the Race Director’s assessment of the situation, rather than being directly caused by the driver of Car 22.” They also noted that Tsunoda was not out of his grid slot, did not impede other competitors, and that race control had never informed Racing Bulls that their driver had triggered the rule — meaning the team had no grounds to instruct him into the pit lane. Tsunoda subsequently avoided a stop-and-go penalty and scored the final point in 10th.

Audi issued a measured statement confirming the procedural step. “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,” the team said. “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.”

Under Article 15.4 of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, a competitor must notify its intention to appeal within one hour of a stewards’ decision. That notification does not constitute a formal appeal; it opens a 96-hour window in which Audi can examine the case in detail before deciding whether to proceed. The outcome matters directly to Bortoleto’s points tally — had Tsunoda been sent to the pit lane and dropped behind the Brazilian rookie, Bortoleto would have taken 10th and the single point that came with it.