Toro Rosso lose Fuji penalty appeal

Liuzzi was handed a 25-second penalty for overtaking Adrian Sutil under yellow flags at the wet race in Fuji. That handed Sutil eighth place, and his and his team's first world championship point.

But Toro Rosso appealed that decision, claiming that Liuzzi had not overtaken under yellows and only passed Sutil once well past the stranded Super Aguri of Anthony Davidson.

But following an appeal hearing in Paris on Friday, the court upheld the stewards' decision and ruled that Liuzzi had overtaken under yellow flag restrictions.

A statement issued by the FIA said: "The FIA International Court of Appeal met in Paris on Friday, October 12, 2007, to examine an appeal lodged by the Automobile Club d'Italia/Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana (ACI/CSAI) on behalf of its licence-holder Scuderia Toro Rosso against decision N°41 of the Panel of the Stewards of the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix dated 30 September 2007 and counting towards the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship.

"Following a report from the Race Director, the Stewards of the Meeting decided to impose a penalty of 25 seconds to be added to the elapsed race time of driver N°18, Vitantonio Liuzzi, for having overtaken another competitor while a yellow flag restriction was in place.

"Having heard the explanations of both parties and having examined the various documents and other evidence, the Court confirmed the decision of the Panel of the Stewards of the Meeting.

"The International Court of Appeal was presided over by Mr Vassilis Koussis (Greece), elected President, and composed of Mr PhilippE Roberti de Winghe (Belgium), Mr Anthony Scrivener (Great Britain) and Mr Jan Stovicek (Czech Republic)."