Red Bull Appeal Ricciardo Disqualification

Red Bull have formally appealed Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification from second place in last weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

The world champions announced their intention to appeal against the Australian's exclusion immediately after he had been stripped of the runner-up position more than five hours after the end of the race, after his RB10 had been found to have 'consistently exceeded the maximum fuel flow of 100kg per hour' during the 57-lap distance.

Reacting angrily to the decision and the FIA's fuel-flow sensors, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hit out at what he termed "unreliable" and "immature technology" and argued the team's own readings had shown the car had run within the new-for-2014 fuel flow limits.

Although having already made clear their intention to contest the decision, Red Bull had 96 hours - until Thursday lunchtime UK time - to formally lodge the paperwork for an appeal with the FIA and have now duly completed the process.

The focus will now turn to the governing body and the date they set for the International Court of Appeal hearing into the matter, with the case looking unlikely to be held before the paddock flies out to Malaysia for the second round of the season early next week.

With the Bahrain Grand Prix being held immediately after the Sepang event, it appears the hearing may not be held until the week before the Chinese Grand Prix in mid-April at the earliest.

Horner explained that the sensor on Ricciardo's RB10 had been changed after it started giving different readings during Friday practice but was then fitted again ahead of the race.

When the case is eventually heard, Red Bull's defence is likely to feature on what Horner is adamant were "discrepancies" with the FIA's fuel flow sensor.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday night, he explained the sensor had been changed after it started giving different readings during Friday practice but was then fitted again ahead of the race.

The team were asked to apply an offset to the fuel flow to ensure it was legal. Believing it placed them at a disadvantage, however, Red Bull chose instead to use their own flow measurement on Ricciardo's car during the race.

According to the FIA, it 'exceeded consistently the maximum allowed fuel flow of 100kg/h' - the rate introduced following F1's shift to more efficient hybrid technology this season.

"We had an issue with the sensor that changed its reading through Friday practice. That sensor was then replaced for another sensor on Saturday which then failed during qualifying," Horner said.

"We were then asked to put the sensor from Friday back into the car and apply an offset. That offset, we didn't feel was correct and as we got into the race, we could see there was a significant discrepancy between what the sensor was reading and where our fuel flow - which is the actual injection of fuel into the engine - was stated as."