FORMULA ONE Disqualified drivers appeal
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See the article in its original context from March 1995.
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Schumacher, the defending world champion, and Courthard finished 1-2 in Sunday's season-opening race at Sao Paulo, but were disqualified five hours later when Schumacher's Benetton-Renault and Coulthard's Williams-Renault were both found to be using irregular fuel.
The hearing will take place four days after the next race, the Argentine Grand Prix. The Williams team said the delay would not affect the team's preparations for the April 9 race.
"We do not handle the fuel," Williams spokesman Jane Gorard said. "That is handled by Elf, and their tests have come out satisfactorily."
Elf, the French company which supplies fuel for both Williams and Benetton, said in a statement Tuesday that its procedure "for the making of the fuels used in the Brazilian Grand Prix by the seven teams it supplies rigorously respected the rules set by the FIA."
The statement criticized FIA for not supplying details of the fuel tests prior to the race and for not allowing the teams to consult experts before disqualifying the drivers. FIA president Max Mosley said the governing body was conducting further analysis of the fuel samples taken from the cars.
Mosley said there would be no action taken over another controversy that emerged at the race: Schumacher's dramatic weight-loss between Thursday and Sunday.
The day before qualifying began, Schumacher weighed in at a surprising 77 kilograms (169 pounds), some 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds) heavier than last season. After the race on Sunday, he was down to 71.5 kilograms (157 pounds).
New Formula One rules this year include a minimum weight for car and driver combined, so a significantly lighter Schumacher would give the German driver a considerable advantage over his rivals.
Other teams, noting that Benetton was cited numerous times for rules infractions last season, immediately became suspicious that the English-based team was again trying to flaunt the rulebook.
