Yesterday afternoon, Spyker lodged a formal protest against rival team Scuderia Toro Rosso claiming that their car was little more than a revised Red Bull. As expected, the stewards have returned a verdict, and it isn’t what the Dutch team were hoping for. With the issue being raised with the International Chamber Of Commerce in Switzerland, the Malaysian stewards rejected the protest saying it would be “entirely innapropriate” to get involved.
Spyker have made an application for arbitration and must by definition therefore be deemed to accept that a dispute such as this (the grounds of the protest being effectively the same as that matter to be determined in arbitration) does not fall within the range of disputes to be settled under the FIA 2007 Formula One Sporting Code.
It is considered therefore that it would be entirely inappropriate for the Stewards to involve themselves in a matter being dealt with at the instigation and election of the Protestor, Spyker, in an entirely different forum.
It follows that this Protest is inadmissible and the Protest fee is accordingly returned. FIA Statement.
The decision now rests in Switzerland, which could take a while, all the time Spyker will have to continue to race both Toro Rosso and Super Aguri as if it were for points paying positions.
