Ricciardo appeal doomed
Red Bull's appeal over Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix appears over before it has started, with Formula One's governing body backing the company that makes the fuel-flow meter at the centre of the furore.
Manufacturer Gill Sensors, which supplies the meters used under the sport's raft of new regulations for this season, said it had received "positive" feedback from the FIA in the wake of last Sunday's race.
Ricciardo, 24, was stripped of what would have been an historic second place after stewards ruled his car had "consistently" exceeded the permitted fuel-flow limit of 100kg per hour during the season's opening race.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has argued the meters are "unreliable", with the sensors used to measure fuel proving problematic across the pit lane over the weekend.
But an early blow has been delivered to the team's planned appeal, with Gill Sensors releasing a statement on Tuesday claiming the FIA was satisfied with the product.
"Following the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, the FIA have provided Gill Sensors with positive feedback on the performance of the fuel-flow meter, confirming their confidence in the development and stating the meters meet the FIA's accuracy specification," the company said.
The statement's release came as race director Charlie Whiting revealed the extent to which Red Bull had ignored repeated warnings before and during the grand prix at Albert Park.
He said the world champions had been told after just five laps of the race that their fuel-flow system was in breach of regulations.
"We advised them twice after qualifying and five laps into the race to take the necessary steps to comply with the regulations," Whiting said.
"They chose to use their own calculations to show they complied. If they had followed the advice we gave them at the time, we would not have had a problem and they would not have been penalised.
"If their sensor was kaput, then things would have been different. It is a human thing because they have the ability to do what was needed to comply."
Red Bull must lodge a formal appeal by noon today. If they proceed, the matter will be heard in an FIA court in Paris and could take weeks to be decided.
Ricciardo flew back into Perth on Monday and will head to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday for the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 30.
"If they had followed the advice we gave them at the time, we would not have had a problem ...""Race director * Charlie Whiting *on Red Bull's actions in Melbourne
