Appeal against Hamilton's Belgian GP penalty kicks off
This morning, the hearing of the appeal against Lewis Hamilton's Belgian Grand Prix penalty started at the FIA's International Court of Appeal in Paris. Lewis Hamilton, who will be racing at Singapore this weekend, was present at the court.
The first hours of the hearing were dominated by discussions whether McLaren's appeal is admissible or not. Under FIA regulations, drive-through penalties are not subject to appeal. But McLaren's lawyer, Mark Philips QC, argues that the case of Hamilton can be appealed.
Philips also argued that the Briton had gained no advantage at all from overtaking Raikkonen's Ferrari where he did. He said: "Millions of viewers watched Lewis Hamilton take the chequered flag at Spa on September 7. Millions of viewers has seen Lewis Hamilton as the quickest man on the circuit at the moment the rain started to fall. At that moment it became a question of when, and not if, he would drive past Kimi Raikkonen. In the wet Kimi Raikkonen was utterly defenceless. The world at large saw Lewis Hamilton on the podium taking the trophy, and then saw the post-race press conference.
"After about two hours the stewards decided to add 25 seconds to Lewis Hamilton's race time, so relegating him from first to third. The stewards say Lewis Hamilton cut a chicane and so gained an advantage. The evidence will show Lewis Hamilton gave the advantage back to Kimi Raikkonen. When they crossed the line, Hamilton was 6.7 kilometres per hour slower, and at one stage seven metres behind.
"If he had stayed behind Raikkonen through the corner and down the straight, he would have passed him anyway into turn one. But Lewis Hamilton had no other choice but to take an escape route, a decision he made at the last second through that chicane. The suggestion he could have braked and slowed down is simply wrong. If Kimi Raikkonen had not forced him off the track he would have passed him down the straight."
The strong point in the defence of McLaren is the radio conversation between the team and Charlie Whiting:
Ryan: "Do you believe that was okay? He gave the position back."
Whiting: "I believe it was. Yes."
Ryan: "You believe it was okay."
Whiting: "I believe it was okay."
If the McLaren team's appeal is accepted and won, Lewis Hamilton could move seven points clear of Ferrari rival Felipe Massa, who inherited the win at Spa.
