The FIA has significantly tightened the Right of Review mechanism for Formula 1 teams in an effort to streamline the process and discourage frivolous challenges.
Previously, teams had 14 days to request a review of a race outcome or stewards’ decision. Now, that window has been reduced to just 96 hours, or four days, from the end of the competition.
Additionally, a non-refundable €6,000 fee will be required upfront by F1’s governing body for each review request.
This stricter policy has been implemented due to the rising frequency of Right of Review requests this season. Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren and Haas all submitted cases throughout the 2023 season, but only Aston’s review in Saudia Arabia was met with a positive outcome for the team.
The new provision, reflected in the International Sporting Code, states the following:
“The period during which a petition for review may be brought expires after 96 hours from the end of the competition concerned, except in circumstances where the stewards consider that compliance with the 96-hour deadline would be impossible, in which case the stewards may extend this deadline by no more than 24 hours.”
The €6,000 fee, which will be kept by the FIA, serves as a deterrent against frivolous requests. The fee will only be refunded if the appeal is successful.
This monetary barrier is expected to encourage teams to carefully evaluate the merits of their potential review requests before proceeding.
These changes are intended to enhance the efficiency and fairness of the review process, ensuring that it is used only when absolutely necessary to uphold the integrity of F1 competition.
By streamlining the procedure and introducing a financial burden, the FIA hopes to curtail the frequency of review requests and maintain the focus on racing.
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