Aston Martin’s protest shakes up the results of the Austrian Grand Prix

A post-race protest from Aston Martin has shaken up the results at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Following the Grand Prix, the team lodged a protest regarding whether violations for exceeding track limits were applied appropriately. Following a hearing, multiple drivers were given additional penalties. While the additional penalties did not change the top three, it did alter the top ten, including dropping Carlos Sainz Jr.

Both of the Aston Martin drivers finished inside the top ten, with Fernando Alonso coming in sixth, and Lance Stroll coming in tenth. While it is not known at the moment what the team is protesting, given that Alonso finished four seconds behind Lando Norris, and Stroll finished less than two seconds behind Pierre Gasly, it is likely that the team will point to one — or both — drivers potentially exceeding track limits.

This was a theme throughout the week, and if either Norris and/or Gasly is judged to have exceeded the track limits, they could be hit with a five-second penalty.

As a result, that could potentially push Alonso and/or Stroll further up the classification.

Here is the F1 document, noting that the team is indeed requesting that race official ensure that penalties for exceeding track limits were applied appropriately:

The section of the Sporting Regulations cited above, Article 33.3, involves exceeding track limits, and reads as follows:

Drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not leave the track without a justifiable reason.

Drivers will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with it and, for the avoidance of doubt, any white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.

Should a car leave the track the driver may re-join, however, this may only be done when it is safe to do so and without gaining any lasting advantage. At the absolute discretion of the Race Director a driver may be given the opportunity to give back the whole of any advantage he gained by leaving the track.

Update: Aston Martin’s protest has been upheld, with stewards finding that there were additional infringements that were not penalized:

Now we await the final classification of results. But you would imagine Norris and/or Gasly were probably the drivers Aston Martin was wondering about.

Update 2: Speculation is growing that Aston Martin is actually wondering about Carlos Sainz Jr. As you can see in the above document upholding the protest, Ferrari had a representative at the hearing.

In addition, in the closing laps Alonso was reportedly on the radio with his team confirming that he was within ten seconds of Sainz.

Update 3: A number of drivers have been hit with additional penalties, including Sainz:

Update 4: Here is the updated, and final, race classification:

The main results of the protest? Sainz drops from P4 to P6, with both Norris and Alonso moving up one spot to fourth and fifth, respectively. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell flip places, with Russell now in P7. Finally, Stroll indeed moves ahead of. Gasly, coming in ninth as Gasly slips to tenth.