Sergio Perez's impressive debut at the Australian Grand Prix will count for nothing after both Sauber cars have been disqualified after failing to meet the post-race technical inspection.
The Mexican finished seventh, one place ahead of his Japanese teammate Kamui Kobayashi, on his first outing at Melbourne, but race stewards excluded both cars on a technical ruling concerning bodywork to the rear of the car.
After the race, however, the race stewards excluded both cars over the infringement of technical rules 3.10.1 and 3.10.2.
Article 3.10.1 reads: "Any bodywork more than 150mm behind the rear wheel centre line which is between 150mm and 730mm above the reference plane, and between 75mm and 355mm from the car centre line, must lie in an area when viewed from the side of the car that is situated between 150mm and 350mm behind the rear wheel centre line and between 300mm and 400mm above the reference plane. When viewed from the side of the car no longitudinal cross section may have more than one section in this area.
"Furthermore, no part of this section in contact with the external air stream may have a local concave radius of curvature smaller than 100mm.
"Once this section is defined, 'gurney' type trim tabs may be fitted to the trailing edge. When measured in any longitudinal cross section no dimension of any such trim tab may exceed 20mm."
3.10.2 states: "Other than the bodywork defined in Article 3.10.9, any bodywork behind a point lying 50mm forward of the rear wheel centre line which is more than 730mm above the reference plane, and less than 355mm from the car centre line, must lie in an area when viewed from the side of the car that is situated between the rear wheel centre line and a point 350mm behind it."
The decision means that the Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is promoted to seventh and the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi to eighth.
The big winners are the two Force India drivers. Adrian Sutil is promoted to ninth and Paul Di Resta, on his F1 debut, scores his maiden world championship point.