Sauber not to appeal exclusion of Kobayashi and Perez

PARIS, March 30, 2011 (AFP) - Sauber will not appeal the exclusions of drivers Kamui Kobayashi of Japan and Mexican Sergio Perez from the Australian Grand Prix for technical infringements, the Formula One team said on Wednesday. Kobayashi, who finished eighth and Perez, in seventh, were found to have breached technical regulations and will not get any points from the race.

Sauber said that the post-race checks by stewards revealed that a radius on the upper rear wing element on both cars contravened the regulations by a few millimetres.

"After examining all the facts, the Sauber F1 Team has decided not to appeal against the verdict of the stewards following the Australian Grand Prix last Sunday," the team said in a statement. Sauber's technical director James Key added: "It did not bring us any performance advantage, but the fact is that it was a deviation from the regulations. We take note of the stewards' decision."

Key added that Sauber had carried out a comprehensive internal investigation. "We have since found that there was an error in the checking process for the relevant dimension on this component. We have already put measures in place to ensure that nothing of this kind occurs again in the future," he said.

Team principal Peter Sauber remained optimistic about the season, saying: "Both Sergio and Kamui put in a tremendous performance on Sunday. They gained no advantage from the inaccurate rear wing. "They both fought hard to secure their finishing places and had really earned their points. Notwithstanding the disappointment, we have shown that we have a fast car and two highly talented drivers. It makes me optimistic for this season."