McLaren's protest against the Piastri's track limit infringement rejected

Formula One's governing body, the FIA has now confirmed that it has rejected the protest that McLaren lodged against the results from the qualifying session for the Austrian Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri set the third quickest time in the qualifying session for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. However, he had his best lap time deleted just seconds after the end of the session as he allegedly exceeded track limits at Turn 6.

It has later emerged that McLaren lodged a protest against the decision as the Woking-based outfit felt that Piastri did not leave the track with all four wheels.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after qualifying, Piastri noted: "For me, it's embarrassing. We did all of this work for track limits, put gravel in places, and I didn't even go off the track.

"I stayed on the track. It was probably my best Turn Six and it gets deleted. I don't know why they've spent hundreds of thousands trying to change the last two corners when you still have corners you can go off.

Despite the efforts of McLaren, the F1's stewards decided to reject McLaren's protest on the grounds that it was inadmissible, claiming that "the protest does not meet several of the required criteria for the admissibility of a protest."

The FIA's statement read:

Procedure

1. On June 29, 2024 following the publication of the Provisional Classification for the Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, McLaren Formula 1 Team lodged a protest against the deletion of a lap time (1.04.786) set by the driver of Car 81 (Oscar Piastri) in Q3.
2. The Stewards first convened a hearing with McLaren to determine the admissibility, or otherwise, of the Protest.
3. Present at that Hearing were the Team Principal, Andrea Stella, and Team Manager, Randeep Singh.

Admissibility

4. The protest was lodged in writing (Article 13.4.1 ISC).
5. It was accompanied by a deposit of EUR 2,000 (Article 13.4.2 ISC).
6. It was addressed to the Clerk of the Course and not to the Chairperson of the Stewards (Article 13.5.1 ISC).
7. It did not specify any relevant regulations (Article 13.4.1 ISC).
8. It did not specify against whom the protest was lodged (Article 13.4.1 ISC).
9. It did identify the concerns of the protesting party (Article 13.4.1 ISC).

Conclusions of the Stewards

10. The subject matter of the protest was a decision (deletion of a relevant lap time in accordance with Article 12.4.1 e) of the FIA International Sporting Code) taken by the Stewards. A decision of the Stewards is not open to protest (Article 12.3.3 ISC).
11. Additionally, the protest does not meet several of the required criteria for the admissibility of a protest (ref. points 6 to 8 above).
12. The Stewards therefore reject the protest as it is inadmissible.
13. The protest deposit is forfeited."