INTERLAGOS, Brazil — McLaren threw the outcome of the world championship into doubt by deciding to file an 11th-hour appeal against the stewards’ decision to not penalize Nico Rosberg, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld for using illegally cooled fuel in the race.
The rules say that the fuel can be no more than 10 degrees Centigrade cooler than the ambient temperature. While the temperature of the fuel in the BMW Saubers and the Williams Toyota was outside the limits, officials said in a statement issued nearly seven hours after the race that that there was sufficient doubt about the fuel temperatures “as to render it inappropriate to impose a penalty.”
If these cars are disqualified, then McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton becomes champion rather than Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen.