In a resounding decision, Haas’ petition for a review of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix result has been emphatically dismissed.
Haas sought a review of last month’s race, alleging that several cars had escaped penalties for persistent track-limits violations during the Grand Prix.
The hearing, initially scheduled for a full review on Wednesday, was adjourned after completing its first part. The pause aimed to allow independent scrutiny of the proceedings.
Stewards from the US GP meeting have firmly rejected Haas’s petition, citing a lack of evidence meeting the required criteria.
During the race, stewards acknowledged insufficient evidence to conclusively prove track-limits violations, specifically at Turn 6’s right-hand sweep.
Haas contended that it possessed “significant, relevant, new, and unavailable” evidence at the time. This evidence included onboards from Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant, Sergio Perez, and Lance Stroll, allegedly depicting them “leaving the track,” according to the FIA.
However, only Albon’s onboard footage and those following him were deemed significant by the FIA.
The three other onboards failed to meet the standards of being “new” or “relevant.” Stewards determined that Haas had access to the footage at the time, leading to the rejection of the petition.
Stewards stated that the petition was rejected because “there is no significant and relevant new element that was unavailable to Haas at the time of the decision.”
In their written submission, Haas highlighted statements allegedly made by FIA F1 race director Niels Wittich and single-seater sporting director Nikolas Tombazis during the team managers’ meeting before the Mexican GP. The statements suggested suboptimal track limits supervision at Turn 6.
The stewards deemed these statements not constituting “significant evidence.” However, they acknowledged an overarching “inability” to enforce and police track limits adequately, labeling it “completely unsatisfactory.”
As a resolution, stewards recommended necessary changes, shedding light on the broader issue of track limits enforcement within Formula 1.
Post-Austin, the FIA pledged to intensify policing at Turn 6 for the upcoming year. This commitment includes an infrastructure update in 2024 to enhance monitoring, ensuring more reliable identification of potential breaches during future races.
Haas’s rejected petition not only highlights the intricacies of track limits but also prompts a broader discussion on the challenges of enforcing these limits within Formula 1. As the sport evolves, the scrutiny on such matters is only set to increase, urging stakeholders to continually refine the rules and their enforcement mechanisms.
