SEAT files a protest against weight list

Spanish manufacturer SEAT Sport has filed a protest against the weight list issued by the Touring Car Bureau. The team filed the protest for all five cars with the Stewards of the Meeting, asking the Stewards to take a closer look at the Bureau’s decision.

The complaint SEAT filed was decribed in the Stewards Decision as following: “The Stewards, having received a protest from SEAT Sport which wishes to protest against the weight list communicated by the FIA Technical Delegate in appendix of his report no.1.”

After looking at the complaint, the Stewards came to the conclusion that they did not have the authority to take any actions against the Bureau’s decision. “The Stewards note that this weight list have been established in application of the Touring Car Bureau Decision No. WTCC 27.02.2009 8 and from then on consider that it is this Bureau Decision that is in fact protested by the complainer; considering that the Stewards have no right of appreciation on Bureau Decisions; considering that the only possibility of protesting such a Decision is to form a complaint to the World Motor Sport Council as specified in Art. 5 of Appendix 1 to the 2009 FIA WTCC Regulation; the Stewards declare the protest as inadmissible.”

Not only didn’t SEAT get what they wanted from the Stewards of the Meeting, they also lost their protest fee. “In application of Art 179 of the ISC, the protest fee will not be returned to the complainer.”

However, the Stewards did remind SEAT “of his right to appeal”.