FORMULA One championship leader Jenson Button's title hopes received a significant boost yesterday when a Paris appeals court ruled that the Briton's controversial Brawn GP car was legal.

The International Automobile Federation's (FIA) court of appeal also cleared Toyota and Williams, whose cars use similar "double- decker" or "split-level" rear diffusers and which rivals had claimed broke the rules.

Button won the first two races of the season in Australia and Malaysia, after overcoming protests from Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull and BMW-Sauber, who then appealed against the stewards' decisions.

The FIA said in a statement that the court, which met on Tuesday, had decided to deny the appeals.

It added: "Based on the arguments heard and evidence before it, the court has concluded that the stewards were correct to find that the cars in question comply with the applicable regulations."

Button and Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello will now be favourites to complete a hat-trick of Brawn victories in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

Team principal Ross Brawn said in a statement: "The FIA technical department, the stewards at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix and now five judges at the international court of appeal have confirmed our belief that our cars have always strictly complied with the 2009 technical regulations."

Had the verdict gone against the three teams, Button could have been stripped of his wins, with the championship thrown into turmoil.

Instead, rival teams will now be racing to come up with their own versions of the diffuser, which ensures a smooth flow of air under the car to create more downforce, at a time when testing is banned.

Renault have already said they have a prototype that could be used in China.

However, double world champion Fernando Alonso warned last month that Brawn could run away with the championship if given the all-clear.

"If the diffusers are legal, the Brawns are going to be nearly unreachable for any other team," the Spaniard said after the Australian Grand Prix. --Reuters

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