Formula One stewards rejected on Monday Aston Martin’s request to review Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification from second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix after his car failed a post-race fuel check.

The German, a four-time world champion, was stripped of the 18 points after a required litre of fuel could not be extracted following the 1 August race.

The disqualification meant Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton inherited the position and increased his overall lead over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to eight points from six.

The FIA said Aston Martin had discovered a malfunctioning fuel system, “which would have resulted in the ejection of fuel during the race”, was to blame.

Aston Martin had said at the time of the disqualification that there should have been 1.44 litres left in the car, according to their calculations.

“In the original decision, the stewards only assumed the fact that there was not enough fuel in the tank. The question of what caused that situation was left out of consideration,” the governing body said in its ruling.

“The F1 Technical Regulations unequivocally calls for a remaining amount of one litre and does not allow any exceptions under which circumstances or for what reasons it could be dispensed with.”

REUTERS