Williams’ Reaction to the Court of Appeal’s Decision

The Williams team congratulates the FIA International Court of Appeal for the decision to reject McLaren’s request, stating in the process that their cars were perfectly within the regulations during the Brazilian Grand Prix last month.

Williams, for the first time in this case, issued a statement emphasizing their full compliance with the rules.

Williams F1 welcomed the FIA’s conclusions. The result of the hearing means that the steward’s decision in Brazil regarding this issue remains in effect and is valid, the team stated.

« The team did not violate the regulations, no evidence was found of any intent to gain a competitive advantage in the race regarding fuel management. »

« In order to respect the process of the Court of Appeal, Williams refrained from making any public statements until a conclusion had been reached. »

« The team can now confirm that the facts of this case are as follows: »

1. Article 6.5.4 of the FIA Technical Regulations stipulates that no fuel on board the cars should be more than 10°C below the ambient temperature.

2. The sources that measure the ambient temperature and the certified sensors that allow for measuring the fuel temperature on board the cars confirm that no rules have been violated.

3. Météo France, which provides official temperature measurements for the FIA and F1 teams, recorded a maximum ambient temperature of 33°C during the Brazilian GP.

4. The lowest temperatures recorded by Williams using the sensors embedded in the fuel tank and during refueling were 31°C and 35°C respectively.

5. Consequently, there was no violation of the regulations.

6. All the previous points are compatible with all the clarifications and opinions regarding fuel temperatures that have been expressed during leadership meetings and other forums. The views expressed at these meetings fully supported Williams.

« These facts are behind the steward’s decision in Brazil. Williams is pleased to be able to present these facts to the FIA and see experts confirm the decision, confirming that both Williams race cars were within the rules during the Brazilian Grand Prix. »

Williams signed their CIA statement arguing that McLaren’s position on the appeal was not admissible to begin with.

« In this case, the appeal of the steward’s decision was deemed inadmissible and McLaren, in the end, must not have documented themselves properly and must not have been fully familiar with the procedure, » concluded the team.