McLaren’s appeal against a decision not to punish the three drivers who finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton at Interlagos and were later found to have fuel temperature irregularities is due to be heard on November 15.
However FIA president Max Mosley has already effectively stated that the appeal will fail.
He said: “For us, the world championship is over, the result is what it is. A team presented an appeal; at the moment, this doesn’t change anything – it’s up to them to prove they are right.”
“You could argue whether McLaren had a right to appeal. 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.”
Meanwhile, motor racing veteran Jackie Stewart has said he understands why the team is contesting the decision, but fears it is doomed to failure.
He has also questioned the role of Ferrari within the sport.
Stewart said in an interview with Scots newspaper The Herald: “I don’t envisage McLaren having the result at Interlagos changed, but I do think there are enough ambiguities in the regulations for their appeal to be a worthwhile exercise.
“I have sympathy for McLaren, because they received a penalty of extraordinary severity earlier in the season, and now, although it seems that Williams may have committed a breach of the regulations, they have thus far not been penalised for it.”
He also didn’t pull any punches when talking about Ferrari, remarking that he was ‘”sceptical” about the team’s conduct in the affair, and adding: “They are very privileged and, within the F1 structure, they are provided with financial benefits which aren’t at the disposal of the other teams.
“So I just don’t think we should take serious notice of any claims that they might be getting discriminated against.
“I am sceptical about their argument, because I have no doubt they are given preferential treatment by the F1 administrators. They keep saying ‘we should have this, because of our standing in the sport’, but I don’t buy into that at all.
“Okay, there is a mystique about Ferrari, but F1 would survive without them. The sport is bigger than any single organisation, so McLaren should be allowed to proceed with their appeal without any interference from a rival team.”