FIA set date for Aston Martin stewards' hearing to review Sebastian Vettel disqualification

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel on the podium in Hungary — Photo: © LAT Images

Aston Martin

FIA set date for Aston Martin stewards' hearing to review Vettel disqualification

Aston Martin believes it has "significant new evidence"

Ian Parkes

Friday 6 August 2021 16:39

The FIA has ordered Aston Martin to appear before the stewards next week for a review of Sebastian Vettel's disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The team requested on Thursday, August 5, a right of review, initiating the appeal procedure after claiming to have discovered "significant new evidence" after the FIA was unable to take a one-litre sample of fuel from Vettel's car after the race at the Hungaroring.

In response, an FIA statement read: "In accordance with Art. 14 of the International Sporting Code, and following the petition for review by Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team, lodged on 4 August 2021, the team manager and such witnesses as the competitor may request, up to three attendees in total including the team manager, are required to appear via video conference at 15:00 hrs CEST on Monday, 9 August 2021.

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"The names and positions of all attendees that the competitor intends to request to attend must be provided in writing no later than 17:00hrs CEST on Sunday, 8 August 2021 to the stewards' secretary."

The team has cited a lift fuel pump issue as the reason why the FIA was only able to obtain a 0.3-litre sample, as opposed to the one litre required under the regulations.

Team principal Otmar Szafnauer has gone on record as claiming there remained 1.44 litres in the car when Vettel stopped on his in-lap after finishing second in the race behind Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

The team believe it has the data to prove its assertion.

In confirming it would be pursuing a case, Aston Martin's statement read: "After Sebastian Vettel’s drive to second place on the road in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday August 1st, he was disqualified from the results when a 1.0-litre sample of fuel was not able to be taken from his car after the race (a requirement as set out in the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations).

"There was and is no suggestion that Vettel’s Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team AMR21 car benefited from a performance advantage from the alleged regulatory breach, or that it was deliberate.

"Since the team’s data indicated that there was more than 1.0 litre of fuel in the car after the race – 1.74 litres according to the data – the team immediately reserved its right to appeal, and has requested a right of review alongside the appeal procedure, as a result of having discovered significant new evidence relevant to the sanction which was unavailable to it at the time of the FIA stewards' decision."