McLaren's David Coulthard has lost an appeal against his disqualification from second place at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Motor racing's ruling body FIA said today its appeal body "decided to confirm the stewards' decision pronouncing the exclusion of car number two from the classification of the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix."
The Scot and his team lawyers pleaded his case Monday at a half hour hearing at the International Court of Appeal of Grand Prix racing's ruling body FIA, in Paris and said he was optimistic of being reinstated.
However the five man panel made up of Jose Macedo e Cunha of Portugal, Ireland's Reginald Redmond, Spain's Pedro Romero, H.L Duijm from the Netherlands and Belgian chairman Roberti de Winghe saw otherwise.
Coulthard, a non-finisher in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, thought he had claimed McLaren's first points of the season in Sao Paulo on March 26 when he finished second behind Ferrari's ichael Schumacher. However he was disqualified when the front wing of his car failed an inspection. McLaren claimed the car had been damaged by an uneven Interlagos track.
The Scot, who was 29 the day after the race, is now 20 points - instead of 14 - behind Schumacher going into Sunday's third race of the season in Italy. McLaren also now find themselves 26 points behind Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship heading into the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.
