Ferrari F1 team could use FIA 'review' to challenge Vettel penalty

With a deadline looming for Ferrari to confirm its appeal against the five-second penalty that cost Vettel the win in Montreal, it is believed it is considering an alternative action plan.

The matter revolves around Vettel being handed a sanction for what the FIA ruled was him rejoining the track in an unsafe manner and forcing rival Lewis Hamilton off the circuit after going off at the first chicane while leading with 22 laps to go.

The chances of success going through the FIA's International Court of Appeal were always likely to be slim, because the governing body's own rules state that such in-race sanctions cannot be appealed.

So even if Ferrari went through with its complaint and took the matter to the FIA's independent court, the likelihood is that the case would be quickly rejected as inadmissible.

Even if Ferrari confirms it will not take the matter to the Court of Appeal when the deadline expires later on Thursday, it is understood that this may not the end of the matter.

The FIA's own International Sporting Code gives competitors an option for a post-event review of decisions, providing that new evidence that was not available at the time has come to light.

Article 14.1.1 of the code states: "[If] a significant and relevant new element is discovered which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the competition concerned, whether or not the stewards have already given a ruling, these stewards or, failing this, those designated by the FIA, must meet (in person or by other means) on a date agreed amongst themselves, summoning the party or parties concerned to hear any relevant explanations and to judge in the light of the facts and elements brought before them."

• Our columnists' opinions on the Vettel penalty
• Jonathan Noble: The right decision under the wrong rules
  
• Edd Straw: What would happen if F1's rules were relaxed?
  
• Gary Anderson: Penalty decision turned F1 into a farce
  

The code states that the period during which a petition for review can happen is 14 days after the final classification was made - which means Ferrari has until race day of the French Grand Prix to go down this route.

If Ferrari goes ahead with a review case, then it will need to lodge what new evidence it has and present this to the FIA - which will then convene either the stewards from the Canadian GP or replacements to meet to discuss the matter.

Ferrari has not commented on what it plans to do, with the deadline for the Canada appeal expiring later on Thursday.

Asked about the situation, a Ferrari spokesperson said: "We are still working on it and we are collecting more evidence."

While the Canadian GP stewards had access to video footage and certain telemetry data, Ferrari might feel that it has more detailed information or data that was not available to the stewards at the time.