Kimi was confirmed as F1 world champion when motorsport's ruling body FIA turned down a McLaren-Mercedes appeal against the result of the Brazilian GP.
LONDON: Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was confirmed as Formula One world champion when motorsport's ruling body FIA turned down a McLaren-Mercedes appeal against the result of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
FIA's International Court of Appeal Friday upheld a ruling from race stewards at the season-ending Brazilian GP not to disqualify BMW-Sauber and Williams cars over alleged fuel temperature irregularities because there was not sufficient evidence.
"Having heard the evidence, they (the race stewards) decided not to impose a penalty as they had sufficient doubt as to both the temperature of the fuel on board the car and to the true ambient temperature," said FIA in a statement.
"Having heard the explanations of both parties and having examined various documents and other evidences, the court decided that the appeal lodged by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is inadmissible."
Raikkonen snatched the world title for Ferrari in that final race in Sao Paulo Oct 21, by one point over Hamilton and the other McLaren driver Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton finished seventh in Brazil, but if FIA had disqualified the two BMWs of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg's Williams which finished ahead of him he would have earned enough points to take the title.
Ferrari said in a statement that it was "completely satisfied" with the decision.
"Today, a final and desperate attempt to change the result obtained on the track was rejected," said Ferrari chief executive Jean Todt.
Mclaren said it was still waiting for a fuller "clarification" of the decision from FIA, but said it hoped to work with the body and other teams on "clarifying matters to avoid a similar situation occurring again".
Hamilton was magnanimous in defeat, saying Raikkonen "deserved to win the 2007 World Drivers' Championship and neither I nor anyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had any desire to take it off him in court.
"I am looking forward to the 2008 season and racing Kimi, and all my other rivals, on track and hopefully be able to go one better than the second place I achieved" this year, he said.
Mclaren have insisted that they only appealed as a matter of principle and in the interest of other teams as well to order to have clear rules for 2008.
McLaren therefore finish the 2007 season empty handed as the British-German team was fined $100 million and stripped of all its constructors' points in September following a spying controversy involving Ferrari.
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