MARCH 27, 2011

Saubers disqualified

The FIA has announced that the two Sauber-Ferrari's have been disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix results because the top element of the rear wing was found to not conform with the rules.

The FIA has announced that the two Sauber-Ferrari's have been disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix results because the top element of the rear wing was found to not conform with the rules, and were infringing on the dimensions of the bodywork in the diffuser area.

Article 3.10.1 and 3.10.2 of the Technical Regulations state:

3.10.1 - Any bodywork more than 150mm behind the rear wheel centre line which is between 150mm and 730mm above the reference plane, and between 75mm and 355mm from the car centre line, must lie in an area when viewed from the side of the car that is situated between 150mm and 350mm behind the rear wheel centre line and between 300mm and 400mm above the reference plane. When viewed from the side of the car no longitudinal cross section may have more than one section in this area. Furthermore, no part of this section in contact with the external air stream may have a local concave radius of curvature smaller than 100mm. Once this section is defined, ²gurney type trim tabs may be fitted to the trailing edge. When measured in any longitudinal cross section no dimension of any such trim tab may exceed 20mm.

3.10.2 Other than the bodywork defined in Article 3.10.9, any bodywork behind a point lying 50mm forward of the rear wheel centre line which is more than 730mm above the reference plane, and less than 355mm from the car centre line, must lie in an area when viewed from the side of the car that is situated between the rear wheel centre line and a point 350mm behind it.

Felipe Massa will now move up from ninth to seventh in the results, Sebastien Buemi eighth and the two Force India's will now finish in ninth with Adrian Sutil and tenth with rookie Paul di Resta.