Liar Liar, your tail’s on fire

McLaren Mercedes was dealt a huge blow by the race stewards at the Australian Grand Prix, they have disqualified Lewis Hamilton and docked McLaren all the points they had earned during the weekend for misleading the investigation. The McLaren team were left grappling for answers.

This is the stuff i have been able to understand. Lewis Hamilton immediately after the race in an interview had said that his team had asked him to slow down to let Trulli by. However when questioned by the stewards after the race, Lewis saw an opportunity to cheat Toyota of its points and replied that he hadn’t slowed down in effect lying to get a few extra points. When the lid was blown off the stewards came down heavily on Lewis Hamilton and his team McLaren Mercedes and docked McLaren of all its points and disqualified Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren team have said that they did not intentionally withhold information from the race stewards.

The statement released by race stewards read :

“The stewards, having considered the new elements presented to them from the 2009 Australian formula one grand prix, consider that driver number one Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone 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 March 29th 2009, a breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

“Under article 158 of the International Sporting Code the driver number one Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are excluded from the race classification for the 2009 Australian grand prix and the classification is amended accordingly.”

A statement from the McLaren team read:

“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 29th 2009, and consequently did not believe it was necessary to discuss them with the stewards on that date.

“Nonetheless, the McLaren Mercedes team now regrets that it did not do so, accepts the stewards’ decision and will not appeal.”