Hamilton appeal on Sept. 22

McLaren's attempt to reinstate Lewis Hamilton as Belgian Grand Prix winner will be heard by Formula One's court of appeal in Paris on September 22, the governing FIA said yesterday.

Championship leader Hamilton was stripped of the victory after race stewards at Spa ruled he had gained an advantage from cutting a chicane while challenging Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen for the lead.

Raikkonen crashed out on the penultimate lap, leaving Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa to be declared winner several hours after the end of the race when Hamilton was given a retrospective drive-through penalty.

The decision meant that the 23-year-old Briton was demoted to third place in the race, slashing his overall lead over Massa from what would have been eight points to a mere two with five races remaining.

The Paris hearing will be in the week of the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, round 15 of the 18-race championship, on Sept. 28.

The penalty has been the talk of Formula One since last weekend with many drivers and observers feeling the sanction was overly harsh and negative for the sport after one of the great track duels of recent years.

Fans at the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari's home race, also made their feelings evident yesterday.

One banner, written in Italian and displayed in the main grandstand next to that of a Ferrari fan club, declared: "What a Scandal in Spa. Disgrace!!!"