F1: Toyota Drop Melbourne Penalty Appeal

Formula 1

F1: Toyota Drop Melbourne Penalty Appeal

Toyota have decided not to appeal the penalty that cost Jarno Trulli a podium finish in the season-opening Australian GP, the team said on Wednesday.

SPEED Staff | Posted April 01, 2009 Sepang (MAS)

Trulli was unlucky to lose a podium finish after starting from the pitlane (Getty)

Toyota have decided not to appeal a penalty that cost Jarno Trulli a place on the podium in the season-opening Australian GP, the team said on Wednesday.

The decision meant that world champion Lewis Hamilton's third place for McLaren will stand.

Toyota said in a statement that, after considering recent judgments by the governing body's International Court of Appeal and referring to the sporting code, it believed any appeal would be rejected.

"Based on this Toyota Motorsport has decided that it would serve no benefit to pursue this course of action," said the team, who had filed notification of their intention to appeal last Sunday.

Trulli was demoted from third to 12th after being handed a 25 second post-race penalty in Melbourne for overtaking Hamilton while the safety car was deployed for the second time.

The second race of the season is at Malaysia's Sepang circuit on Sunday.

SOURCE: Reuters

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