Kobayashi and Perez disqualified from Australian GP results

Both Kobayashi and Perez have lost their points-scoring finishes

Both Sauber drivers of Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez have been disqualified from the results of the Australian Grand Prix.

Their Sauber C30’s upper rear wing element was found by the stewards to not be within the regulations. The FIA have disqualified the team on the basis of them breaking Sections 3.10.1 and 3.10.2 of the technical regulations.

The removal of these two drivers from 7th and 8th means that Felipe Massa and Sebastien Buemi take their places, and Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta move up to 9th and 10th respectively.

Sauber have stated their intention to appeal. Technical director James Key has said:

"This is a very surprising and disappointing result.

It appears that there is a question over the top surface of the uppermost rear wing 
element, this area is not the working surface of the component and therefore 
relatively unimportant to its function.

Certainly this has not lead to any performance advantage. We are checking the design 
of the parts now to better understand the situation and we intend to appeal the 
decision made by the stewards."

Sections 3.10.1 and 3.10.2 read as follows:

Article 3.10.1
"Any bodywork more than 150mm behind the rear wheel centre line which is between 
150mm and 730mm above the reference plane, and between 75mm and 355mm from the car 
centre 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 centre 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."

Article 3.10.2
"Other than the bodywork defined in Article 3.10.9, any bodywork behind a point lying 

50mm forward of the rear wheel centre line which is more than 730mm above the 

reference plane, and less than 355mm from the car centre line, must lie in an area 

when viewed  from the side of the car that is situated between the rear wheel 

centre line and a point 

350mm behind it."