McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton is back in the running for the Formula 1 Motor Racing World Championship when his 25-second penalty was reduced today, after a successful appeal to the FIA in Paris yesterday.
His penalty was reduced to a 24-second penalty.
Hamilton received the penalty during the recent Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, for cutting a chicane. It meant he finished in 3rd place. Now though, after this reduction, he will still finish in 3rd place.
Ferrari counsel Nigel Tozzi QC (what a name!) had earlier been the target of Hamilton's frustration, with the McLaren driver responding to Tozzi's criticism of his driving, by saying:
"Are you a racing driver? No!
"I have been a racing driver since I was eight years old, in fact, before I could walk; I know pretty much every single manoeuvre in the book, and that's why I'm the best at my job."
This outburst did not sit well with FIA chiefs, however, and this was reflected in the miniscule reduction in his penalty.
Despite this, Hamilton was upbeat. He said:
"This will just spur me on."
McLaren barrister, Mark Philips, spoke after the hearing and said:
"The law is an ass. The FIA are wankers and the Ferrari team are a set of (deleted)."
