The FIA International Court of Appeal met in Paris on Tuesday, November 28, 2006, to examine appeals lodged by the Automobile Club d’Italia/Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana (ACI/CSAI) on behalf of its competitors/licence-holders Draco Multiracing USA, R.C. Motorsport and Prema Powerteam Srl against the decision taken by the Belgian National Court of Appeal on 25 July 2006 regarding an event run at Zolder (Belgium) on 30 April 2006 and counting towards the World Series by Renault 2006.
During the qualifying session of race N°2 of the Zolder event, the driver Pastor Maldonado (Draco Multiracing USA) was sanctioned by the Stewards for having allegedly cut out a chicane and was demoted several places on the starting grid. Draco Multiracing USA brought a protest against the decision of the Stewards which declared the protest unfounded. Draco Multiracing USA then brought an appeal before the Belgian National Court of Appeal.
The Belgian Court was at the same time considering a separate appeal by an unrelated party in relation to race N°1 of the same event. The Belgian Court joined the two cases and reached a conclusion for both which cancelled the results of race N°1 only (without addressing Draco’s issues regarding race N° 2). Draco therefore appealed to the International Court of Appeal.
As a result of the Belgian National Court of Appeal having cancelled the results of race N°1 without allowing the other competitors an opportunity to be heard, the competitors R.C. Motorsport (on behalf of its driver Garcia) and Prema Powerteam Srl (on behalf ot its drivers Rossiter and Salignon) also appealed the Belgian Court’s decision to the International Court of Appeal.
Having heard the explanations of the parties and having examined the various documents and other evidence, the Court:
- cancelled all of the decision handed down by the Belgian National Court of Appeal on 25 July 2006;
- concerning Draco Multiracing USA, confirmed the decision N°28 handed down by the Panel of the Stewards concerning qualifying for race N°2 which took place on 30 April 2006;
- concerning the appeals brought by R.C. Motorsport and Prema Powerteam Srl, confirmed the classification of race N°1 which took place on 29 April 2006.
The International Court of Appeal was presided over by Mr Vassilis KOUSSIS (Greece), elected President, and composed of Mr Laurent ANSELMI (Monaco), Mr José MACEDO e CUNHA (Portugal) and Mr Reginald REDMOND (Ireland).
The full text of the International Court of Appeal’s decision is available, on request, from the secretariat of the FIA International Court of Appeal in Paris.
Note: Unofficial document for media use, not binding on the International Court of Appeal.