Hamilton excluded from Australian GP

Eurosport - Thu, 02 Apr 18:54:00 2009

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has been stripped of his third place at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for deliberately misleading race stewards.

2009 McLaren Lewis Hamilton - 0

The governing FIA stated that Hamilton and his McLaren team had both been excluded from the classification of the race.

Toyota's Italian Jarno Trulli, who had been handed a 25-second penalty and demoted to 12th place at a post-race hearing for overtaking Hamilton during the second safety car period, was reinstated in third.

Stewards had reopened their enquiry on Thursday after "new elements" emerged and summoned Hamilton to appear before them at the Sepang circuit.

Their verdict was that "Hamilton and... McLaren Mercedes acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards at the hearing on Sunday."

They ruled that there had been a breach of the international sporting code.

McLaren stated: "McLaren Mercedes understands that the stewards made their decision on the basis of reviewing radio transmissions between the driver and the team.

"The team mistakenly believed that the radio transmissions had been reviewed by the FIA on Sunday March 29 2009, and consequently did not believe it was necessary to discuss them with the stewards on that date.

"Nonetheless, McLaren Mercedes now regrets that it did not do so, accepts the stewards' decision and will not appeal."

With Hamilton's team-mate Heikki Kovalainen failing to finish in Melbourne, McLaren are now in the same situation as champions Ferrari with no points.

Toyota had served notice of a protest after the race in Melbourne but decided not to proceed on Wednesday because they felt there was no chance of overturning the stewards' decision.

Trulli, who had slid off and been passed by Hamilton while behind the safety car, said after the race that he had little choice but to overtake the Briton again.

"When the safety car came out towards the end of the race, Lewis Hamilton passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road," he said at the time.

"I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."

Hamilton had told Speed TV that Trulli went wide onto the grass at the second to last corner.

"I was forced to go by. I slowed down as much as I could. I was told to let him back past, but I mean ... I don't know if that's the regulations, and if it isn't, then I should have really had third," said the Briton.

In a separate development, Red Bull's German Sebastian Vettel could have his 10-place penalty on the Malaysian starting grid reviewed.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Vettel had been asked to discuss the penalty with Alan Donnelly, the FIA'S permanent non-voting chairman of the stewards.

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Reuters

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Ive watched F1 for forty years in fact since I was 3­ years old Im not watching it again its a pointless­ waste of time!!! It used to be a sort now its whose­ fsace fits wins

    From stevierowland, on Fri 3 Apr 10:22AM

  2. The FIA are bloody outrageous.They make up the rules as­ they go along.

    From ian82bell, on Fri 3 Apr 10:22AM

  3. The FIA are bloody outrageous.They make up the rules as­ they go along.

    From ian82bell, on Fri 3 Apr 10:21AM

  4. Though for the day...

    Once upon a time all the­­ manufacturers got together and instead of them all­­ spending a fortune on making a winning car they­ decided­ that one driver would win the championship­ that year.­ Then the next year it would be another­ drivers turn­ etc...

    This "chosen" team­ spent a bucket of­ money to build a good car, whilst­ the other teams­ "made up the numbers" and­ coasted around­ keeping the sponsors happy and spending­ a minimal­ budget. Great idea. Ah yes, but the­ "chosen­ one" would have been obviously quick­ and would­ have soon built up a large lead in the­ championship.­ That would have been boring.....unless­ of course he was­ penalised like crazy... and on the­ last corner of the­ season he just scrapes through by­ one point.­

    Wonderful, saves money, adds excitment,­ causes­ emotion amongst millions .... let's see­ who's­ turn this year. Maybe Trulli and­ Toyota......!!

    Come­ on lads, get real. We are all­ being conned by the­ biggest stitch-up in sporting­ history. The whole thing­ is a soap-opera and as fixed­ as a Heavyweight boxing­ match.

    From David, on Fri 3 Apr 10:18AM

  5. Thats it. I am done watching formula 1. What is the­ point? The corrupt FIA will continue to shamelessly­ insult all of us with their decisions. Lewis should­ find another type of racing to participate in.

    From TREVOR C, on Fri 3 Apr 10:07AM

  6. Terrible decision

    From yomia, on Fri 3 Apr 6:44AM

  7. What difference does McLaren discussing the situation­ over the radio make? Hamilton wasn't sure if­ Trulli had the right to re-take his position after­ going off. So Hamilton let Trulli pass so that he­ (Hamilton) couldn't be accused of passing under the­ safety car. The rules are the rules. Radio­ transmissions have absolutely nothing to do with it. ­ The FIA determined that according to the rules,­ Trulli's pass was made while under the safety car. ­ Tossing the situation back to the track stewarts to­ abuse their power and exercise their clearly­ anti-McLaren bias is ridiculous. Time after time they­ rob McLaren of legitimately-earned points. I really­ enjoy F1 racing but, unfortunately, it is fixed.

    From fishblue6, on Fri 3 Apr 5:18AM

  8. Question, if this had ben Ferrari would there have been­ further investigation. Answer, NO! Please don't­ treat us like fools, they all cheat some degree and­ alway have done. It's about time "Bernie and­ Co" were given the elbow and allow people without­ prejudice and favouratism run the sport before it dies­ and A1 takes over

    From John W, on Fri 3 Apr 5:00AM

  9. Excluded is such a bad choice of a word. It makes it­ seem as if Lewis was not allowed to even race last­ week.

    From Ryan, on Fri 3 Apr 4:43AM

  10. Mclaran if you lie & cheat & get caught you­ should just accept it

    From U R SOLES, on Fri 3 Apr 4:19AM

  11. F1 is such a transparent political joke. It makes­ Professional Wrestling look noble.

    From Bruce, on Fri 3 Apr 4:16AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Hahahahaha, pathetic all the Crane-boy's defenders­ whining about the demotion, frigging well done maFIA,­ you're starting to regain a very tiny little­ respectability. We all know how hard it was for you­ (maFia, Bernie, and Co.) to put Crane-Boy in is place,­ but trust me, it will only do him good. Hopefully they­ will stop cheating and learn to race again.

    Cheers to­ all Crane-Boy @#$%­ lickers.

    HAhahahahahahahhahahaha!!!!

    From Mauricio, on Fri 3 Apr 4:05AM

  13. Regardless of who is right or wrong and regardless of­ if anyone told or even suggested an untruth, the review­ by the stewards gave third place to Hamilton. The­ stewards inquiry is something akin to a court and they­ made a judgment on the evidence they ASKED for. Even­ the demoted team did not complain. If they, the­ stewards, did not ask then will not get what they need.­ Now the question is what rights do the stewards have to­ re-open the issue and accept NEW evidence and issue NEW­ penalties after they have closed the case and everyone­ connected (winner and loser) accepted the outcome. Does­ the punishment fit the crime? No is my view. In fact­ perhaps the stewards should be told and or taught how­ to conduct an inquiry.
    By the way I am not an ardent­ fan of Hamilton but I do enjoy motor racing. The Oz­ race was interesting and more actual racing was seen to­ the benefit of all concerned.

    From internationalfan, on Fri 3 Apr 3:44AM

  14. This cheating controversy involves McLaren, and it­ comes as no surprise.

    Good job Brawn. You just made F1­ interesting again. Honda must feel reaaaaaly bad for­ pulling out. Ross Brawn is a genius!

    From tres_equis_69, on Fri 3 Apr 2:04AM

  15. the stawards are lookin for a scapegoat to cover there­ mistakes again

    From s, on Fri 3 Apr 1:40AM

  16. Lewis don't give up! The same happened to Muhamad­ Ali, But now is one of the most known sports icon. Its­ only your 3rd Season but you are already a World­ Champion and Runners up. COME ON!! YOU ARE A TRUE­ CHAMPION!!!!!!!!

    From jedojem, on Fri 3 Apr 1:36AM

  17. What really pisses me off is they change the rules­ every year ...some good some bad and some totally­ bewildering , but every year for the last 4 or 5 they­ have more and more complaints and stewards rulings­ which make the sport look like @#$% . They need to deal­ with this @#$% at the time of the race and not drag all­ of it out all the time

    From fatmanlovesf1, on Fri 3 Apr 1:11AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Yeah Me Hammy am the biggest CHEAT and DIKKHEAD than­­­ anybody in F1.
    I love spying, lying and lying some­­ more­ also being as dishonest as daddy Ron Dennis­ makes­ me feel good.
    It´s very­ funny and sometimes it­ works­ marbles that´s how I became the­ most hated­ black man­ in F1 n I love that.
    I learned a­ lot of­ filthy tricks­ from the dirty legacy left by my­ team­ MuckLaren­ co-workers all these years spent there.
    Now­ I am the­ public enemy number 1. Indeed I sukk big­ time. Thnx a­ lot­ my little Mucky piglets.

    From AndJustice4All, on Fri 3 Apr 12:46AM

  19. hasnt f1 turned to s===T===E ive had enough do they now­ that a bunch of NO MARKS are ruining the sport so they­ can talk in the pub. they are all w=-====s including­ the nazi lets see some racing, not rules turning men­ into traffic warden targets

    go home AND PICK ON YOUR­ WIFES
    i bet they would would give you hell­ w'''''''K'''s­ give me a bell and ill tell you you to your fACE­ TOSSERS 004542 060809

    From peter k, on Fri 3 Apr 12:44AM

  20. This used to be a SPORT: It used to be about devil may­ care daring sportsman. It used to be enthralling to­ watch. But that was then. Now it's just another big­ business focussed on big revenue provided by big­ sponsors all aimed at getting TV coverage. There is no­ room in this big business for "Fans". We­ don't matter and we don't have a voice. Sad,­ but that's the way it is. Despite all the varying­ opinions expressed here today, I think that we can all­ agree that this is no longer a sport...Watch it if you­ will but frankly, from here on in, I'll just catch­ the results on the net.

    From USA 1, on Fri 3 Apr 12:01AM
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