McLaren to launch appeal

Hamilton's team to contest stewards' decision

Last updated: 7th September 2008  

McLaren to launch appeal

Hamilton: Penalty

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McLaren Mercedes have said they intend to appeal against the decision to strip Lewis Hamilton of victory in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

Race stewards decided that Hamilton had cut a chicane and gained an advantage while battling Ferrari's World Champion Kimi Raikkonen for the lead at Spa-Francorchamps.

A retrospective drive-through penalty of 25 seconds was applied at the end of the race, meaning that Hamilton dropped from first place to third.

With Ferrari's Felipe Massa promoted to the race win and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld moving up to second, Hamilton's Championship lead over the Brazilian now stands at just two points.

A team spokesman said: "We have no option other than to register our intention to appeal.

"We have studied the details and put them before the FIA stewards.

"They show that after cutting the chicane Lewis lifted off, he was 6km/h slower than Kimi.

"After conceding the lead to Kimi, Lewis repositioned his car on the right and beat Kimi on the brakes going into the hairpin."

Furious battle

Hamilton explained the move by saying that he had to straightline the Bus Stop chicane to avoid colliding with his rival as rain started to fall in the closing stages of the race.

Although he then let Raikkonen back through and into the lead across the start-finish line, Hamilton darted to the inside and passed once more at the next corner.

The pair then battled furiously during the penultimate lap, with Raikkonen spinning and Hamilton leaving the track before the Finn eventually hit a wall.

"He pushed me wide. I had no room," Hamilton later said of the incident. "This is motor racing."

It is not yet clear whether any appeal will be allowed under FIA rules.