Ferrari confirms request for review of Vettel’s penalty

Ferrari has officially requested a review from the FIA of the decision to punish Sebastian Vettel in the recent Canadian Grand Prix.

The five-second time penalty handed to the German driver in the closing stages of the race, which robbed Vettel and Ferrari of a win in Montreal, sparked a wave of outrage among the racing community.

Ferrari therefore wants the FIA stewards to revisit their controversial call, possibly in light of new evidence provided by the Scuderia, per the governing body’s International Sporting Code rules.

• Nico Rosberg dissents - Vettel penalty was deserved!

Article 14.1.1 of the code states that if "a significant and relevant new element is discovered which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the Competition concerned," then this can justify a second assessment by the stewards or their replacements.

Before judging the case once again, perhaps at this weekend’s French GP at Paul Ricard, the stewards will most likely assess whether the evidence presented by Ferrari should be admissible or not.

Should the evidence be allowed, the stewards will then listen to the Scuderia’s representative’s relevant arguments justifying why Vettel was unjustly punished for his move against rival and Canadian GP winner Lewis Hamilton.

It's highly unlikely that Ferrari's own investigation into its driver's actions will have resulted in the discovery of a significant new element that could call the stewards' initial decision into question.

Will the procedure therefore prove a waste of time? Probably...

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