Daniel Ricciardo has been excluded from second place in the Australian Grand Prix by the FIA Stewards.

The #3 Red Bull, which finished second behind race winner Nico Rosberg, was deemed to have breached the 100kg/h fuel flow limit.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner immediately confirmed that his team will appeal the ruling.

The stewards had taken some three and a half hours to confirm the decision after the matter was referred to them by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer.

The FIA stewards handed down their statement at 2355 local time, confirming that the car was disqualified for breaching Article 5.1.4 of the technical regulations.

CLICK HERE for the FIA’s full reasoning behind the decision

The ruling stated that “the team chose to run the car using their fuel flow model, without direction from the FIA” during the race.

Red Bull had done so after disagreeing with the readings from the FIA’s official fuel sensor.

The team experienced variances in Ricciardo’s flow readings during Friday practice and subsequently moved to a replacement for Saturday.

It then reverted back to the original sensor, to which a correction offset was applied by the FIA, for the race after the replacement gave “unsatisfactory” readings.

The FIA statement stressed that it had warned Red Bull during the race that, according to its calcuations, the fuel flow rate was too high.

“The FIA technical representative observed thought the telemetry during the race that the fuel flow was too high and contacted the team, giving them the opportunity to follow his previous instruction, and reduce the fuel flow such that it was within the limit, as measured by the homologated sensor – and thus gave the team the opportunity to be within compliance,” read its reasoning in part.

“The team chose not to make this correction.”

Horner slammed the FIA’s fuel sensors as “immature technology” and says he’s confident that his team will win its appeal.

“I’m extremely disappointed, quite surprised and we will of course appeal,” he said.

“Through the appeal process we will be quite clear the car has conformed at all times to the regulations.

“We wouldn’t be appealing if we didn’t think we were confident of a defendable case. It is just extremely disappointing that this has happened.

“It is certainly no fault of Daniel’s. I don’t believe it is a fault of the team. We have the right to appeal which we have now submitted so until the appeal hearing is heard the results remain.”

Ricciardo had left the circuit almost an hour before the decision was handed down.

“Regardless whatever the outcome I’m really proud of what I did today,” he had told media on the way out of the paddock.

“There are more positives than negatives.”

See below for the updated race result

See below for the updated championship points