News Summary
- Audi will follow through with its appeal against the FIA stewards’ decision not to penalise Yuki Tsunoda for the extra formation lap at Monza, according to Autosport.
- The team believes the 2026 sporting regulations require a driver who causes an extra formation lap to start the race from the pit lane.
- Gabriel Bortoleto finished 11th at Monza and would move into the points if Tsunoda’s result is overturned.
Audi has decided to appeal the FIA stewards’ decision that allowed Yuki Tsunoda to keep his 10th-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix, according to Autosport. The German manufacturer initially notified the FIA of its intention to appeal after the Monza race and has now decided to proceed with the case.
The dispute centres on an extra formation lap ordered before the restart following Charles Leclerc’s red-flag crash. Tsunoda, driving for Racing Bulls, initially appeared to be heading towards the wrong side of his grid position before correcting his trajectory and stopping in his assigned box.
Race director Rui Marques was not comfortable with Tsunoda’s positioning and ordered another formation lap. The stewards subsequently investigated the Racing Bulls driver for a possible breach of Article B5.9.4 of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations.
Tsunoda was ultimately not penalised and finished 10th, scoring the final championship point.
Audi believes the decision deserves further review because the regulations state that a driver who causes an extra formation lap and is able to take part in it must enter the pit lane at the end of that lap and start from the pit lane.
According to Autosport, Audi considers the wording of the regulations to be clear and believes Tsunoda should have been required to start from the pit lane regardless of whether the Racing Bulls driver and team were explicitly informed that they had caused the additional formation lap.
Why Audi is challenging the decision
The case has a direct impact on Audi because Gabriel Bortoleto finished 11th at Monza, just behind Tsunoda.
If the FIA appeal overturns Tsunoda’s result or applies a sufficient penalty to drop him behind Bortoleto, the Brazilian would move into 10th place and score one championship point.
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi’s other driver, finished 12th.
The initial stewards’ decision acknowledged that Tsunoda’s positioning was the reason for the additional formation lap but concluded that the race director had acted out of caution rather than because the driver had clearly violated the starting procedure.
The stewards also noted that neither Tsunoda nor Racing Bulls had been told that the driver was considered responsible for the extra formation lap.
That point became central to the decision. The stewards argued that Tsunoda could not reasonably be expected to enter the pit lane if he and his team had not been informed that he was considered the cause of the additional lap.
Audi wants clarification of the regulations
Audi’s challenge is therefore not only about recovering a point for Bortoleto. The team also wants clarification of how Article B5.9.4 should be applied in similar circumstances.
In its initial statement, Audi said it had raised concerns about the application of the regulation requiring a driver who causes an extra formation lap to enter the pit lane and restart from there. The team declined to comment further while the appeal process was underway.
Autosport reported on Thursday (10) that Audi had decided to proceed with the appeal after using the 96-hour period available under the FIA International Sporting Code to examine the case and determine whether there were grounds to challenge the stewards’ ruling.
The FIA has not yet set a date for the appeal hearing.
The controversy is particularly relevant to Audi because Bortoleto’s 11th-place finish at Monza left him just one position outside the points. The Brazilian recovered during the race after a difficult start but ultimately lost the final point to Tsunoda.
The outcome of the appeal could therefore change the official classification of the Italian GP and potentially give Bortoleto his first point from the Monza weekend.
GRANDE PRÊMIO will follow the FIA appeal process and any decision affecting Tsunoda and Bortoleto’s Italian GP results.
FAQ
Why is Audi appealing Yuki Tsunoda’s result at Monza?
Audi believes Tsunoda should have received the sporting consequence prescribed for a driver who causes an extra formation lap. The team argues that he should have started from the pit lane, which could have moved Gabriel Bortoleto from 11th into the points.
What did Yuki Tsunoda do at the Italian GP restart?
Tsunoda initially approached the wrong side of his grid position before correcting his direction and stopping in his assigned box. Race director Rui Marques was not comfortable with the positioning and ordered an additional formation lap.
Could Gabriel Bortoleto gain a point from the Audi appeal?
Yes. Bortoleto finished 11th, directly behind Tsunoda. If the FIA appeal changes Tsunoda’s classification and moves him behind the Audi driver, Bortoleto would be promoted to 10th and receive one championship point.
