Aston Martin admit defeat in Sebastian Vettel appeal - and it could be key in title race

Bosses at Aston Martin F1 have finally admitted defeat in their quest to reverse Sebastian Vettel's disqualification at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The German finished second behind surprise winner Esteban Ocon in Budapest, but was later stripped of his podium place after the FIA could not take the required one-litre fuel sample from his car after the race.

His team contested the decision and provided evidence as to why there was less fuel than anticipated left in the car.

However, the FIA stood by its decision after reviewing the appeal and deemed the new evidence "not relevant" – much to the displeasure of team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin F1 lost 15 championship points after he was disqualified from the Hungarian Grand Prix over FIA's failure to collect a fuel sample from his car after the race. (James Moy Photography/PA Images)

He described the decision as "disappointing", adding the team would "now consider our position in respect of the full appeal process".

But now Aston Martin has decided to withdraw its appeal to move forward.

In a statement, the team said: " Having considered our position and having noted the FIA stewards’ verdict that there was clear new evidence of a fuel system failure, we have nonetheless withdrawn our appeal on the basis that we believe doing so outweighs the benefits of it being heard."

It means Vettel and his team have lost the 18 championship points that would have come with his second-placed finish.

The German would have pushed into the top 10 in the driver's standings, but instead he was leapfrogged by race winner Ocon.

Both Aston Martin drivers now sit behind the Alpine pair of Ocon and Fernando Alonso, while Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri is also higher in the standings.

It also means the Aston team sits seventh in the constructor's championship, and is in danger of being cut adrift from both Alpine and AlphaTauri.

Sebastian Vettel's disqualification from the Hungarian Grand Prix could have ramifications on the title scrap between Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. (PA)

Possibly more crucial may be the impact of the decision on the title race – Lewis Hamilton was bumped up into second, meaning he earned three extra points from the race.

He has an eight-point lead over main rival Max Verstappen in what could be one of the tightest championship fights in recent memory in the second half of the current season.

Vettel will be rueing the FIA's decision to disqualify him in Hungary, but it may be Verstappen who feels the effects of the decision the most if he ends up finishing only a point or two behind Hamilton.