Toyota abandon Trulli podium appeal
Toyota have confirmed they will not pursue the appeal they were considering in response to the 25-second time penalty imposed on driver Jarno Trulli’s race time following last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Trulli had finished the Melbourne event in third, but was dropped to 12th after stewards decided he passed McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton whilst the field was under the safety car.
A statement issued by the team on Wednesday said: “Following the decision by Australian Grand Prix stewards to impose a 25-second time penalty on Jarno Trulli, Toyota Motorsport filed notification of its intent to appeal. This action was taken to preserve any right it may have to utilise the appeal procedure and to give it time to consider in appropriate detail all the facts relating to the incident.
“Having considered recent judgments of the International Court of Appeal and referring to the Sporting Code it is believed that any appeal will be rejected on a procedural point such as that defined under article 152, paragraph 5 of the Sporting Code: ‘Penalties of driving through or stopping in pit lanes together with certain penalties specified in FIA Championship regulations where this is expressly stated, are not susceptible to appeal’.
“Based on this Toyota Motorsport has decided that it would serve no benefit to pursue this course of action.”
