Ferrari uses 'right to review': does this have a chance of success with the FIA?

Ferrari has filed a 'right to review' with the FIA following the punishment for Carlos Sainz. What exactly is this and does Ferrari have a chance of succeeding with this process?

Right to review

Normally, the result is final at the end of the race. However, there are always options for teams to challenge the result. This may involve looking at the 'Right to Review' section in the FIA's International Sporting Code. Rule 14.1.1 of this document states that litigation can be initiated with newly submitted information.

Ferrari seems particularly focused on the crashes of Logan Sargeant and Pierre Gasly. The incidents took place in the same laps but were not penalised. Frederic Vasseur revealed that he would like to start discussions with the FIA about this. Whether the right to review has any chance of success, however, remains to be seen.

This is because the FIA regulations state that new, relevant information must be provided, which was not yet available at the time of the review. Sargeant and Gasly's crashes were at the same time, so just supplying those images, is not new information. So Ferrari must provide images or information that give a new perspective on the case, which could thus exonerate Sainz.

Red Bull and Mercedes attack each other

This is not the first time this rule has been used by an F1 team. In 2021, this rule especially came up a lot, when Red Bull Racing and Mercedes were fighting each other for the world title. For instance, Red Bull tried to use a right to review to adjust the result of the British Grand Prix, as Mercedes would later try to do in Brazil. In both cases, the FIA rejected the proposal.

Earlier in 2023, Aston Martin was successful with a right to review. Back then, the British team provided multiple images of pit stops where a penalty was served while making contact with the car with the jack. As the stewards had ruled that Aston Martin had committed an error and that this had been clearly agreed between the teams, it became clear from that 'new footage' that this was not the case. Thus, the penalty was reversed and Fernando Alonso regained his P3 in Saudi Arabia.

Sainz crossed the Australian Grand Prix in fourth place, but finished 12th due to his five-second penalty. Should Ferrari provide enough evidence that the penalty is reversed, Yuki Tsunoda will be the biggest victim. With P10, the Japanese finished in the points for the first time this year. If Sainz is put back, the AlphaTauri driver will finish in P11 for the third time in a row.