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Priaulx finds FIA ruling 'strange'

Andy Priaulx has labelled the FIA's decision to exclude him and his BMW team-mate Augusto Farfus from the Okayama rounds of the World Touring Car Championship over the sequential gearbox controversy as 'strange'

The FIA International Court of Appeal has ruled that Priaulx and Farfus be disqualified from their results in Japan, after Chevrolet complained about the BMW teams using sequential gearboxes to try and gain a weight penalty advantage.

That decision means that Chevrolet's Yvan Muller has now been crowned champion, and leaves Priaulx disappointed that he has no chance of fighting for the title in Macau this weekend, particularly as Engstler BMW driver Andrei Romanov had run the controversial gearbox prior to Japan.

"It is very strange," he told AUTOSPORT in Macau. "It doesn't normally happen like that - especially since we ran the gearbox since Brands Hatch in July, and we have been in constant discussion with the technical people as well. Obviously the stewards deemed it okay at the time, so it is very strange."

Priaulx said that the FIA decision has left him a bit empty ahead of Macau, as before the decision he still had an outside chance of the championship.

"Although I said the title was unlikely, I still had a bit of hope coming here because it is Macau and anything can happen," he said.

"One bad situation for Yvan in race one and I win it, then suddenly you can do it. So there was a small glimmer of hope.

"But I've had a great year anyway with six wins, and lots of really good results. And Okayama [when he crashed out] was disappointing because it is the only mistake I have made all year.

"Now, with what has happened, it has taken away any possible hope for anybody. There were a lot of people following me who wanted to come here, and are flying here and wanted to have something exciting to look forward to, so it is a very strange situation really."

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