Both Saubers have now been excluded from the race results for a technical infringement involving bodywork.
That means the result is now Massa 7th, Buemi 8th, Sutil 9th, di Resta 10th.
The issue is the upper rear wing element. The rules say ‘the local concave radius of curvature may not be smaller than 100mm,’ and both cars breached that.
The rules concerned is new for this year. The test is conducted with a template and would not have come to light until after the race because not all FIA tests are conducted routinely every weekend.
Technical director James Key took a sample of the rear wing to race control but didn’t want to comment when he returned to the paddock.
Update: Sauber has lodged a ‘statement of intention to appeal,’ so the matter is not over yet.
Adam Cooper F1 
Is there a reason why something like that isn’t picked up on Thursday during scrutineering? Was it overlooked, or was it some new part that got fitted as the weekend went on?
Massive shame. I was half expecting the problem to be with those fantastically innovative endplate extension louvres…
What a downer!
Well, that is quite disapointing.
The Saubers actually did a lot better than everyone probably expected!
Very disappointing for Sauber.
Do you know if the barge board or whatever that was dragging under Hamilton’s car was checked by the stewards.
Thanks
It’s a real shame. Perez put in a fantastic effort today but as many have already said it’s the exact same result as Kubica’s debut for dauber too!
Never heard of an appeal overruling the original verdict with regards to F1
Dauber or Sauber either way 🙂
Poor Sauber.
I really feel sorry for them.
You must wonder why checks are not made on a thurs/fri to prevent these type of situations.
I bet if it was one of the “big” teams nothing would be said.
@Nick:
Remember the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix issue with the barge boards on the Ferrari’s?
This was a similar case where an aerodynamic part did not meet the regulations. In that case Ferrari appealed successfully to the disqualification by the stewards. This could have been a key moment in the 1999 championship, as the roll-back of the disqualification meant that Irvine was back in the race for the championship for the last race in Suzuka, where he lost it to Hakkinen in the end.
You could say that was a different story because it was at the end of the season, in the middle of a title race and it involved Ferrari. But we can’t be sure of the ending of this case until Sauber makes an official appeal and it is accepted or rejected…
I’m very sorry about the consequences for Sauber if the disqualification stays in place, but I don’t hope this uncertain situation goes on for too long.
How did it pass on Thursday and now it’s illegal on Sunday. They should penalize the scrutineers, not Sauber.
And how did Hamilton not get black-flagged for dragging his floor around the track half the race?
Initial scrutineering is not a full-blown check of the car. Only key sections are checked. In Sauber’s case, that part was checked as part of a spot check.
As for Hamilton, there is precedent for it. Mika Hakkinen also finished 2nd in the 2000 San Marino Grand Prix with a partly-detached floor. As long as the part doesn’t fall off the car or doesn’t stick out the side of it, there shouldn’t be a safety issue.