Motor Sport: FIA president Max Mosley has played down Lewis Hamilton's impact on Formula One this year despite the rookie driver's brilliant season.
The governing body chief also believes Hamilton is unlikely to win the F1 title on appeal, even if drivers who finished ahead of him at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix are disqualified.
Hamilton, the first black F1 driver, produced four wins and nine podium finishes in a row in his opening nine races but lost the title by one point to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland.
"There is always somebody new," Mosley told the BBC. "If it wasn't him (Hamilton) it would be either (Nico) Rosberg or (Robert) Kubica or one of the other new stars. I think there's a tendency to exaggerate the importance of Lewis Hamilton."
Mosley said Hamilton had worldwide interest because he "does not come from a rich background" but added if he continues his rate of progress that could also result in negatives.
"If he does the same thing next season as he's done this season, it will certainly have a big effect," said Mosley. "It will start to be negative because we'll get the (Michael) Schumacher effect where people start writing to me saying, 'can't you do something to slow him down'?".
McLaren have appealed against the decision by the race stewards not to disqualify BMW Sauber and Williams from the Brazilian Grand Prix after they used fuel that was too cold.
If their drivers, who filled the three places ahead of Hamilton, were kicked out at the appeal, Hamilton could move up from seventh to fourth and gain the points he needs to take the title.
"It could happen, absolutely, because this will go to a court of appeal," Mosley said. "It consists of very senior lawyers who are not connected with any of the countries involved in the events . . . it's an independent court.
"That said, it's very unlikely because even if they excluded those cars they are not obliged to reclassify Hamilton. There's absolutely no need, if they don't wish to, to change the position that Hamilton was in."