McLaren to appeal
SAO PAULO: The McLaren Mercedes-Benz Formula One team said Sunday night it was ready to appeal a stewards decision at the Brazilian Grand Prix, keeping alive Briton Lewis Hamilton's F1 title dream.
The team made the decision following the stewards' decision not to punish the BMW Sauber and Williams teams for using allegedly irregular fuel during Sunday's race, won by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen to claim the drivers' title.
McLaren officials notified the FIA of their intention to appeal the race stewards' decision not to penalize BMW Sauber and Williams within an hour of the announcement, which had appeared to seal the championship for the Finn.
The stewards' decision also meant the original race result was valid and that Raikkonen was confirmed as champion.
Brazilian Grand Prix stewards decided not to take action against BMW Sauber and Williams despite a report from the FIA technical delegate that stated temperatures of fuel samples taken from both cars of each team were outside the regulations.
McLaren's decision to appeal now leaves the results of the drivers' world championship in a state of uncertainty.
If the FIA's International Court of Appeal overturns the stewards' decision and, more crucially, disqualifies the Williams and BMW Sauber drivers, then McLaren's Lewis Hamilton will be elevated from seventh to fourth - giving him enough points to beat Raikkonen for the world championship.
AFP
(China Daily 10/23/2007 page24)
