Toyota appeals Schumacher penalty.
Toyota has appealed against the penalty that saw Ralf Schumacher lose his eighth place in the San Marino GP.
The German was penalised for an 'unsafe release from pit stop' by the team. He came into the pits at the same time as Nick Heidfeld, with whom he was battling. The Toyota pit is nearer the exit, and as Heidfeld accelerated down the pitlane Schumacher turned sharp left into his path, blocking him.
Toyota has appealed against the penalty that saw Ralf Schumacher lose his eighth place in the San Marino GP.
The German was penalised for an 'unsafe release from pit stop' by the team. He came into the pits at the same time as Nick Heidfeld, with whom he was battling. The Toyota pit is nearer the exit, and as Heidfeld accelerated down the pitlane Schumacher turned sharp left into his path, blocking him.
Although this is a typical racing move the stewards clearly felt that the team had been a little too aggressive. He was given a 25 second penalty, the equivalent of a drive through, which dropped him three places to 11th.
In response Toyota has made the point that the rule is open to interpretation: 'In view of the extremely vague description of the regulation and a number of similar incidents which have gone unpunished, Toyota has decided to appeal the decision of the stewards in order to clarify this issue for the future.'
