The American-owned outfit appeared to have been the biggest gainer from a chaotic second red flag restart as Nico Hulkenberg moved up to fourth place on the road as a number of front runners crashed out in the chaotic first few corners.
With a third red flag being brought out, the FIA elected to go for another restart – although this time it was behind a safety car and the cars only went around to take the chequered flag.
But it was the decision of the FIA to revert to the running order of the previous restart that triggered some annoyance, as it meant that Hulkenberg was shuffled back to seventh on the road.
Rivals who had hit trouble at the original restart – including Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez - were all allowed to retake their original positions in the order.
While Haas has not commented on the reasons for its protest, it is almost certainly related to the decisions made for the restart that cost Hulkenberg.
In a super close midfield battle, the loss of points through the drop of positions could prove critical at the end of the season in the fight for constructors’ championship positions.
More to follow
Source: Autosport