Alfa Romeo has confirmed their appeal against the penalties given to both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi post-race in Germany.
The team were found in breach of the regulation which states a driver must operate the car alone and unaided after the data showed a longer than permitted delay in the torque delivery, something that could help traction off the start line.
Having finished seventh and eighth on the track, it meant both drivers dropped out of the points at Hockenheim, but on Thursday, team boss Fred Vasseur explained their argument.
“The situation arose during the laps we spent behind the Safety Car ahead of the standing start – we suffered a dysfunction of the clutch that was beyond our control and we will further investigate the issue,” he said.
“We respect the FIA’s process and the stewards’ work but will appeal this decision as we believe we have the grounds and evidence to have it overturned. In this regard, we will be in touch with the FIA soon.”
Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica will be paying some attention to the decision, as it was they who benefitted from Alfa’s penalties to move into the final points positions.