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Romain Grosjean’s disqualification from the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix will stand after the FIA International Court of Appeal rejected Haas’ appeal against the decision.
Grosjean took the chequered flag in sixth position at Monza at the start of September but was excluded from race results after a protest from Renault over the state of his car’s floor.
Haas had overtaken Renault for fourth in the constructors’ championship, and the disqualification not only cost the American squad eight points but also promoted Renault’s Carlos Sainz Jnr to eighth, granting him and his team another two points.
Haas had fallen afoul of regulations after a technical bulletin issued during the summer break but the team asked for an extension to comply until the Singapore Grand Prix which was not formally agreed to.
A statement from the FIA read, “The Court, after having heard the parties and examined their submissions, decided:
“To uphold the Decision No. 42 of the Stewards of the 2018 Italian Grand Prix held in Monza counting towards the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship;
“To confirm the exclusion of Haas F1 Team’s car No. 8 from the 2018 Italian Grand Prix held in Monza counting towards the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship;
“To order the competent Sporting Authority to draw, as appropriate, the consequences of this ruling.
“To date, only the operative part of the decision has been notified to the Parties. The full decision including grounds will be notified later on.”
Haas team principal Gunther Steiner said, “Obviously we are disappointed not to have won our appeal.
“We simply move forward and look to the final two races of the year to continue to fight on track, earn more points, and conclude our strongest season to-date in Formula 1.”
Renault Sport technical director Nick Chester added, “Technical Regulations – especially those introduced for safety reasons – must be observed strictly.
“We are satisfied with the decision and I would like to thank the court and the FIA for their work on this matter. The team is now focused on the end of the season.”
The decision has solidified Renault’s position of fourth in the constructors’ standings, 30 points ahead of Haas with two races remaining.
Grosjean remains 13th in the drivers’ standings, as he would have regardless of the court’s decision, but is still only two points ahead of fellow Frenchman Pierre Gasly of Scuderia Toro Rosso.
The Brazilian Grand Prix takes place next weekend (November 9-11) at Interlagos.
