Sauber drivers Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi have been disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix over a technical infringement. The team has indicated it will appeal the decision (see separate story).
Perez, making his grand prix debut, had finished in a strong seventh position, one place ahead of his Japanese teammate Kobayashi. After the race, however, the race stewards excluded both cars over the infringement of technical rules 3.10.1 and 3.10.2. The infringement occurred in the uppermost rear wing element.
Article 3.10.1 reads: "Any bodywork more than 150mm behind the rear wheel center line which is between 150mm and 730mm above the reference plane, and between 75mm and 355mm from the car center 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 center 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, 'gurney' 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 states: "Other than the bodywork defined in Article 3.10.9, any bodywork behind a point lying 50mm forward of the rear wheel center line which is more than 730mm above the reference plane, and less than 355mm from the car center line, must lie in an area when viewed from the side of the car that is situated between the rear wheel center line and a point 350mm behind it."
The exclusion of the Sauber drivers means Ferrari's Felipe Massa is elevated to seventh, ahead of Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi, and Force India duo Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta.
REVISED RESULTS AND STANDINGS
Classified:
Pos Driver Team
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
3. Petrov Renault
4. Alonso Ferrari
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault
6. Button McLaren-Mercedes
7. Massa Ferrari
8. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari
9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes
10. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes
11. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari
12. Heidfeld Renault
13. Trulli Lotus-Renault
14. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
World Championship standings, round 1:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 25 1. Red Bull-Renault 35
2. Hamilton 18 2. McLaren-Mercedes 26
3. Petrov 15 3. Ferrari 18
4. Alonso 12 4. Renault 15
5. Webber 10 5. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 4
6. Button 8 6. Force India 3
7. Massa 6
8. Buemi 4
9. Sutil 2
10. di Resta 1
All timing unofficial