McLaren appeal set for November 15

The race stewards at Interlagos decided not to penalise the BMW Sauber and Williams teams after temperature readings from their fuel rigs during the race pitstops were under the variation permitted in the Formula One Technical Regulations.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton finished the race behind Williams's Nico Rosberg and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld. If all three are disqualified, the Briton could gain the extra points required to crown him world champion instead of race winner Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

But speaking about the upcoming appeal today, FIA president Max Mosley downplayed the potential threat to Raikkonen's title.

"For us the world championship is over, the result is what it is," he said today. "A team presented an appeal; at the moment, this doesn't change anything - it's up to them to prove they are right."

Mosley also addressed the question of whether or not McLaren have the right to appeal the decision, given that they did not protest the results of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"You could argue whether McLaren had a right to appeal," he said. "They could have protested the result, but they didn't. Apparently they didn't measure the temperature of the fuel.

"But even if the cars classified ahead of Hamilton would be excluded, would this change his position? The Court of Appeal will have to rule on that."