Lewis Hamilton refused to be downhearted after dramatically missing out on the Formula One title in his first season.

Hamilton fell just one point short in attempting to become the first rookie to win the world title, Finn Kimi Raikkonen winning the race and the title in Brazil.

That outcome remained in some doubt with Hamilton's McLaren team notifying the FIA of their intention to appeal the race stewards' decision not to penalise BMW Sauber and Williams for allegedly using irregular fuel during the race.

Had the BMW Sauber and Williams teams been disqualified from the race, Hamilton would have moved up to fourth, giving him enough points to take out the championship.

Speaking before McLaren's decision to appeal, Hamilton said he was content with his first-up campaign.

"It's been a crazy year and I honestly can't say I'm really, really gutted," he told reporters.

"I'm not."

Hamilton went into the race as championship leader with a four-point lead over estranged McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso.

But he could manage only seventh in the Interlagos sunshine as Raikkonen took out the race, Alonso finishing third to finish equal second in the championship with Hamilton.

"I finished second in the world championship, I beat my teammate, under extremely difficult circumstances," said Hamilton.

"I beat the two-time world champion, that was the goal.

"I have every confidence we can go into next year with a good car and we can do a good job or an even better job.

"We'll be even better prepared and the team are going to keep pushing, I'm going to keep pushing. We've got the experience now, we can start afresh."

Hamilton started on the front row but had dropped to eighth at the end of the first lap after running wide as Alonso forced his way through.

The Briton then slowed dramatically eight laps later and plunged to 18th place, leaving him fighting a desperate rearguard battle to claw his way back into the points.

"I went into the race and I said to myself that, whatever happens, it's been a hell of a year, and who would have thought that I would be leading the world championship going into the last race," Hamilton said.

"The team have done a phenomenal job all year. It's been amazing, it's been a huge rollercoaster ride.

"For sure, we all wanted to win, we wanted to win the World Cup, we wanted to win the world championship, it's obviously not England's turn this year," he said, referring to England's defeat by South Africa in Saturday's Rugby World Cup final.

"It wasn't a great start to the race. I locked up behind Fernando, basically to avoid hitting him, and went a bit wide, came back on, was quite relaxed.

"I never stopped pushing and I kept going until the end. I was told at the beginning we could still get it and I truly believed that."

Hamilton had also blown a chance to wrap up the title in China two weeks ago when he skidded off the race and into a gravel trap.

"I just thought for sure that someone doesn't want to me to win this championship, because I've had some tyre problems, my mistake in the last race, but going into this race, something happened again," he said.

"Kimi did a fantastic result all season, he drove very, very well today so he deserves to have it."

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