FIA stewards have rejected Haas’ protest against Force India made at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The American squad called into question the legality of the current incarnation of the Force India team using the cars that were designed and ran by the previous outfit which was bought by Lawrence Stroll during the summer break.
As a result, Haas felt the Silverstone-based team didn’t meet the regulations of being a ‘constructor’ and therefore, shouldn’t be eligible for prize money at the end of the year.
“What we are seeking is equality for all the teams,” said team boss Guenther Steiner.
“We came into Formula 1 under certain circumstances, we were aware of what we have to do, we did it all, and we feel that this was not done this time with Force India, so we are just seeking equality or at least an explanation of why it isn’t.
“I think everybody needs to be treated the same. We don’t want more or anything. When we came into the sport we did our apprenticeship, we would just like that everybody is treated equally.”
What the Italian is also referencing is another agreement that all entries must complete at least three seasons before being permitted to receive ‘Column 1’ levels of prize money from the commercial rights holder, which the current Force India entry wouldn’t satisfy.
Haas had tried unsuccessfully to seek compensation from Liberty Media on that matter leading to the protest at Yas Marina which has now also failed.
“The former [Force India] team was no longer a competitor in the 2018 Formula One World Championship as it had as of August 16, forfeited all its rights and ability to field two cars at any further Grand Prix in 2018,” the ruling, given on Saturday, explained.
“The Force India Formula One Team ceased to meet the FIA definition of both a Competitor and a Constructor on 16 August 2018 when all of its assets were sold. At that point, it no longer possessed the resources to meet its obligations as either a competitor or constructor.
“The stewards, therefore, decide that the Racing Point Force India F1 Team entry satisfied, from August 23, 2018, the definition of a ‘Constructor’ under the 2018 FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.”
Their finding also pointed to the use of outsourcing, with the governing body claiming the purchase of items from a defunct team comes under that definition, Haas also do the same with their chassis which is made by Dallara.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Steiner was asked about an appeal to the FIA and the possibility of civil action against Force India, on both the team boss wasn’t committal but didn’t rule anything out.