Verdict disappoints Hamilton

British driver fully focused on title race

Last updated: 23rd September 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Verdict disappoints Hamilton

Hamilton: denied appeal

People will probably expect me to be depressed about today's result, but that isn't me.

Lewis Hamilton
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Lewis Hamilton insists he is "not depressed" after the FIA International Court of Appeal rejected McLaren's appeal against the retrospective penalty he received after the Belgian Grand Prix.

Click here to read the ICA's verdict in full

The ICA found that the Woking-based team had no right to challenge the ruling saying: "Article 152 of the International Sporting Code states that drive through penalties are 'not susceptible to appeal'," a statement from the FIA's Court of Appeal said on Tuesday.

Hamilton will now head into the Singapore Grand Prix with a one-point lead over Ferrari's Felipe Massa. The Brit, though, is ready to put the incident behind him.

"People will probably expect me to be depressed about today's result, but that isn't me," a statement from McLaren read.

"All I want to do now is put this matter behind me and get on with what we drivers do best: racing each other. We're racers, we're naturally competitive, and we love to overtake.

"Overtaking is difficult, and it feels great when you manage to pull off a great passing manoeuvre. If it pleases the spectators and TV viewers, it's better still. So I'm disappointed, yes, but not depressed."

McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh says the team will now shift their focus to the remaining four races of the season.

"We are naturally disappointed with today's verdict, and to have received no ruling on the substance of our appeal," he said.

"No-one wants to win Grands Prix in court; but we felt that Lewis had won the Belgian Grand Prix, on track, in an exciting and impressive manner.

"Our legal team and witnesses calmly explained this, as well as our belief that the appeal should be admissible, to the FIA International Court of Appeal.

"It nonetheless decided that our appeal was inadmissible. We will now concentrate on the remaining four races of the 2008 Formula 1 season."