The McLaren appeal will be held in London and not in Paris

A change of venue for the appeal hearing of the British team McLaren Mercedes will be made. Initially scheduled in the French capital at the FIA headquarters, this hearing will ultimately take place in London.

The reasons stem from the strikes planned in transportation starting Wednesday and for an indefinite duration since they are renewable. These aim at the duration of employee contributions, and some media reports are announcing massive strikes, the largest in the past ten years.

According to an official statement: « Due to the upcoming transport strike in Paris, the International Court of Appeal has decided that the hearing requested by the Motor Sports Association, on behalf of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, will be held in London instead of the FIA headquarters in Paris. »

We recall that this appeal request follows a decision not to disqualify Rosberg’s Williams and the BMW-Saubers of Kubica and Heidfeld, who finished 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively in the last GP of the season in Brazil.

The accusation made against them concerned the use of fuel at a temperature such that the performance of the single-seaters could have been improved. This practice is strictly prohibited, and due to lack of evidence, no penalty was imposed on the three drivers.

McLaren appeals this decision to clarify certain points of the regulations governing the sport…

But Hamilton finished 7th at the Brazilian Grand Prix, behind the three previously mentioned drivers who might be disqualified, and could therefore collect a sufficient number of points to become the 2007 world champion.

Indeed, the British driver finished the 2007 season just one point behind Räikkönen, the current world champion, and could therefore move ahead in the final drivers’ standings if a favorable decision is made for McLaren Mercedes.

The hearing will take place on Thursday and will start at 10 a.m.