Lewis Hamilton's hopes dealt a blow as rivals' cars get the all-clear

Stewards rule diffusers do not break rules
Branson reported to be ready to sponsor Brawn
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton expects his McLaren to struggle in Melbourne. Photograph: PA Wire/PA

Lewis Hamilton's championship aspirations received a potentially serious setback today when race stewards threw out an appeal over the controversial diffusers used by three of McLaren's rival teams, including the pace-setting Brawn-Mercedes, ahead of Sunday's opening grand prix here.

Hamilton is already expecting a tough start to the season with a difficult car and the chances of retaining his Championship could become much worse if McLaren are forced to change their car to have the same competitive edge as the Brawn, Williams and Toyota, all of which have the performance-enhancing device.

"Optimistically we can get a point, but I don't think so somehow," Hamilton said. "But we have to stay positive because anything can happen, and we can get some points. You only have to look at last year when only seven cars finished the race to know that anything is possible. But in terms of true pace at the moment, I don't think we are quick enough."

Unless an appeal court, which is unlikely to sit until after the second round of the Championship in Malaysia, overturns the stewards' decision, McLaren face having to make dramatic alterations to their car. With the opening grands prix being in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain, it would be hard for McLaren to make changes before the first European race, in Spain on 10 May, potentially leaving Hamilton trailing in the title race.

The Brawn team were hoping for further good news last night after reports emerged that Sir Richard Branson has renewed his interest in investing as a sponsor. Branson was reported to be set to arrive in Melbourne today to announce the deal, which would be the first major sponsorship agreement the team have signed since being rescued by Ross Brawn after Honda pulled out last December.

Although an appeal-court verdict ruling the diffusers illegal would be a blow to Jenson Button and his Brawn team, it would take far less time and effort for Brawn and the other two in question to modify their cars than for McLaren to modify the diffuser. It is unlikely that Championship points earned during the first two races would be deducted from Brawn, Williams and Toyota in the event of the diffuser being banned since this case would be viewed by the FIA, the sport's governing body, as a clarification rather than the discovery of deliberate cheating.

"We are just starting a long haul of four races away from our home base," said Pat Symonds, director of engineering at Renault, one of the protesting teams. "It would be possible to have something done to our car by the first race in Europe, the Spanish grand prix on 10 May. That could find us maybe three-tenths of a second. But, in order to find the other two or three tenths necessary to put us on a par with the three cars carrying what I believe to be an illegal diffuser would require a substantial reworking of the rear of the car. Ironically, the three would have a much easier job converting the other way."

The Brawn, Williams and Toyota passed scutineering after Ferrari and Red Bull joined Renault in lodging a protest. It was thrown out after a six-hour hearing but the losing side plan to appeal.

The diffuser channels and speeds up air exiting from beneath the car, thus creating low pressure which helps pull the car towards the track and creates better grip from the tyres. Those used by Toyota, Williams and Brawn are shaped higher because of a reading of the regulations that does not match the view held by the other seven teams.

The FIA has been criticised for not sorting out the problem sooner and allowing it to tarnish the start of the season. Cynics see the FIA's apparently tardy approach as a means of causing division among the teams at a time when they have shown more unity than ever before to become a potential thorn in the side of the governing body. "It's something the sport needs to resolve pretty quickly and unfortunately that's going to cost some of the teams a lot of money," said Martin Whitmarsh, the chief executive of McLaren. "We need to have a common and consistent interpretation. There must be a better way of sorting this out."