Sauber seeks answers on wing design

The Swiss-based team has submitted its intention to appeal against the disqualifications of Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi from the Melbourne event for a rear wing breach.

The rear wings did not comply with Articles 3.10.1 and 3.10.2 of the F1 Technical Regulations that demands wing parts do not have 'a local concave radius of curvature smaller than 100mm.'

This addition to the F1 regulations was introduced this year to prevent teams from running F-duct type systems. Its compliance is tested by the FIA using a 100mm ball template - which must remain in contact with the wing at all points.

Should the wing be too curved, as the Sauber design used in the race appeared to be, then the ball will have a gap between it and the wing.

Sauber technical director James Key said that he was seeking answers from the team's Hinwil factory as to why the design used in Melbourne had not passed the test.

"We didn't know anything about it until after the race," said Key in Melbourne. "It's possibly an oversight, certainly not intentional, and is nothing to do with F-ducts or anything else that circumvents the regulations. It is also not performance enhancing, as what happens on top of the element is incidental.

"How it has arisen needs to be investigated internally, and that is the process that we now need to go through."

Key added that other design specifications of wings that Sauber had available were all checked after the race and did comply with the rules.