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McLaren Appeal Keeps Räikkönen's Title In Limbo
By Dale Calkins October 22 2007
Despite being found to be in breach of the technical regulations, the Williams and BMW cars were not disqualified from the Brazilian Grand Prix, a ruling which is now being appealed by McLaren. The FIA stated they did not have conclusive evidence to punish either team, which meant Kimi Räikkönen would keep the 2007 Drivers' Championship. A McLaren appeal could change all of that though.

McLaren Appeal
Keeps Räikkönen's
Title In Limbo

Despite being found to be in breach of the technical regulations, the Williams and BMW cars were not disqualified from the Brazilian Grand Prix, a ruling which is now being appealed by McLaren. The FIA stated they did not have conclusive evidence to punish either team, which meant Kimi Räikkönen would keep the 2007 Drivers' Championship. A McLaren appeal could change all of that though. The Stewards issued this statement:

"(We lacked) a precise reading of the temperature of 'fuel on board the car' which shows fuel at more than 10 degrees centigrade below ambient temperatur (and) a regulation stating in clear terms that for the purposes of Article [6.5.5] the definitive ambient temperature shall be indicated on the FOM timing monitors alone.

In view of the matters referred to above, the stewards consider that not withstanding the presumptions referred to above there must be sufficient doubt as to both the temperature of the fuel actually 'on board the car' and also as to the true ambient temperature as to render it inappropriate to impose a penalty."

The stewards mentioned a discrepancy between the Formula One Management temperature of 37 degrees and the temperature from Meteo France, the FIA and team contracted meteorologists. The Meteo France reading a few degrees cooler. Therefore they could not definitely conclude there to be a 10 degree difference in fuel temperatures.

The McLaren team has, as a result of the FIA's controversial decision to take no action whatsoever, decided to appeal the results of the BMW and Williams cars. Such is their right to do so. This does mean tough the title is
still in question.

If McLaren's appeal results in the disqualification of the BMW and Williams drivers, Lewis Hamilton will be World Champion and Kimi Raikkonen will lose the title he managed to steal away on technicality.

Kimi would obviously be upset should he lose the title, but Lewis Hamilton would certainly not want to take a hollow title either. McLaren on the other hand do not seem so concerned and will continue to push for punishment.

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