F1 Italian GP result could be changed as FIA confirm appeal hearing

You thought one long-running saga about challenging the result of an F1 race was a tedious spectacle? Well how about TWO of them?

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix was held at Monza in early September, but its result won't be official until the end of November at the earliest - and possibly not until after the season ends.

The specific appeal being launched comes from Audi, who believe that Yuki Tsunoda should have been given a stop-and-go penalty during the race for causing an extra formation lap at a red flag restart.

Tsunoda, stepping in at Racing Bulls while Liam Lawson replaced the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, got away from the incident scot-free - but could be penalised retrospectively when the FIA's court of appeal hear Audi's case on November 25.

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Audi appealing stewards' decision at Italian Grand Prix

If anything larger than a five-second time penalty is applied, Gabriel Bortoleto would leapfrog Tsunoda into tenth place and snatch a crucial extra point – the only one which the Japanese driver scored in his three-race return.

The stewards detailed their reasons for not penalising Tsunoda at the time, writing: "Car 22 approached the grid initially heading for the left hand side of the grid, then realising he was headed for the wrong grid position, the driver changed direction and positioned his car in the correct grid box and in the correct position within the grid box," read the stewards' document on the incident.

"This was verified by the stewards with video from multiple camera angles. The Race Director, in evidence, stated that it was his call, based on the behaviour of the car on the approach to the grid box, to commence an extra formation lap. He stated he was not comfortable starting the race with the car in that position."

Cars which cause an extra formation lap are required to start from the pit lane – failing to do so brings a stop-and-go penalty – but the stewards' ruling points out that 'at no time was the team advised that Race Control considered Car 22 to be the cause of the extra formation lap', meaning that Racing Bulls had no reason to call Tsunoda in to start from the pits.

Irrespective of whether or not the driver directly caused the extra formation lap," they wrote, "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, clearly, disagree, and for the second time this year a race result will come down to appeals board decisions months after the fact.

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