Weeks after the United States Grand Prix, Haas has lodged a petition to appeal the results of the race. This appeal could affect Sergio Perez and his strong 4th-place finish in the race. The Stewards have summoned representatives from Williams, Red Bull, and Aston Martin.
Sergio Perez had a decent finish during the Austin GP. This result became even better when Lewis Hamilton got disqualified from the race where he finished 2nd. this helped Perez a lot as he further extended his lead from Hamilton in the WDC.
However, Red Bull has been summoned to a hearing with the FIA. Although track limits were a minor issue at the United States Grand Prix, there were not a lot of penalties. But Haas thinks that Alex Albon exceeded track limits a bit too often. If this is found to be true, Albon will be demoted from his 9th place finish and will promote Nico Hulkenberg to 10th earning him 1 point.
Remember this? Well, Haas has now lodged a petition for a right of review into the United States Grand Prix results, and I believe it relates to track limits…
(Haas also wasn’t the team I was aware of that flagged it at the time) #F1 https://t.co/RgGtiL4Mwv
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) November 4, 2023
Haas is the last team in the Championship. So every single point they can earn counts for them. They are currently below Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri. Alfa Romeo is only 4 points ahead of Haas. So every single point could help Haas get out of that bottom position on the table. There are only 2 more races remaining on the calendar. If Haas is not able to outscore Alfa Romeo by 5 points in these next 2 races, they will remain in the bottom.
If Haas’ petition turns out to be successful, Sergio Perez would actually retain his 4th position. George Russell crossed the line to finish 6 seconds behind Sergio Perez. So if Perez were to receive a 5-second penalty, he would retain his 4th position finish. However, if Perez got a 10-second penalty, he would lose position to George Russell.
How close is Lewis Hamilton to Sergio Perez in the WDC?
Although Lewis Hamilton thought he had closed the gap at the Austin GP, he was soon disqualified. This allowed Sergio Perez to extend his lead to 39 points. However, in the Mexico City Grand Prix, Sergio Perez had to retire his RB19 after crashing into Charles Leclerc in the opening lap. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, had a really positive race where he went on to finish 2nd only behind Max Verstappen.
Following the Mexican Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton had closed the gap to 19 points. However, in the next race, Sergio Perez once again increased his lead for P2 in the WDC.
The Haas hearing will be held at 15:00 CET on Wednesday.
It relates to multiple incidents including Albon not being penalised further when investigated in Austin so Williams is also summoned, as are Red Bull and Aston Martin #F1 https://t.co/Y4Rgi6d3Vh
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) November 6, 2023
The 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix was an abysmal weekend for Mercedes. Although Lewis Hamilton got a good start in the Grand Prix, he was not able to maintain track position. He continuously lost track battles to the Ferraris, Red Bulls, and McLarens. After starting 5th, Lewis only managed to finish P8. Perez on the other hand, went from starting 9th to finishing 4th. This has extended Perez’s lead to Hamilton to 32 points.
The Mexican driver will be hoping to take this momentum into the next 2 races. There has been a lot of speculation among the F1 paddock. Rumors suggest that Perez will leave the team if he does not retain 2nd position until the end of the season. However, Horner has put those rumors to rest and has guaranteed Perez his seat until the end of his contract which is after the 2024 season.
Do you think the FIA will approve Haas’ petition to appeal the results of the United States Grand Prix? Post your answers in the comment section below.