Formula 1 News

Lewis Hamilton disqualified from 2009 Australian Grand Prix 

Jarno Trulli back in third place.

Following a meeting in Malaysia between the Australian Grand Prix stewards and race drivers Jarno Trulli and Lewis Hamilton in regards to their incident at Albert Park, Lewis Hamilton has been officially disqualified from Melbourne’s race and Jarno Trulli has been given again the third place.

The McLaren-Mercedes driver had been promoted from fourth to third at the Australian Grand Prix, following a 25-second penalty handed to third place finisher Jarno Trulli.

However, as new elements were discovered this week – Hamilton’s radio conversations with his team at the time of the incident – the FIA stewards convened another hearing with the involved drivers this afternoon at Sepang.

After the meeting the stewards ruled that Lewis Hamilton ‘acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the race stewards’ and disqualified both the driver and the McLaren-Mercedes team form Melbourne’s race classification, giving back to Jarno Trulli the third place.

The stewards’ statement read:

“The Stewards having considered the new elements presented to them from the 2009 Australian Formula One Grand Prix, consider that driver No 1 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 29th March 2009, a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.”

“Under Article 158 of the International Sporting Code the driver No 1 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.”

On Thursday, the FIA published also the transcript of the radio transmission between Hamilton and McLaren during the 2009 Australian Grand Prix at the time of the incident with Jarno Trulli:

• Team (McLaren): “OK Lewis, you should need to make sure your delta is positive over the safety car line. After the safety car line the delta doesn’t matter but no overtaking. No overtaking.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “The Toyota went off in a line at the second corner, …, is this OK?”
• Team (McLaren): “Understood, Lewis. We’ll confirm and get back to you.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “He was off the track. He went wide.”
• Team (McLaren): “Lewis, you need to allow the Toyota through. Allow the Toyota through now.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “OK.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “He’s slowed right down in front of me.”
• Team (McLaren): “OK, Lewis. Stay ahead for the time being. Stay ahead. We will get back to you. We are talking to Charlie.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “I let him past already. Team: OK, Lewis. That’s fine. That’s fine. Hold position. Hold position.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “Tell Charlie I already overtook him. I just let him past. Team: I understand Lewis. We are checking. Now can we go to yellow G 5, yellow Golf 5.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “I don’t have to let him past I should be able to take that position back, if he made a mistake.”
• Team (McLaren): “Yes, we understand Lewis. Let’s just do it by the book. We are asking Charlie now. You are in P4. If you hold this position. Just keep it together.”
• Team(McLaren): “OK Lewis, your KERS is full, your KERS is full. Just be aware. You can go back to black F2, black Foxtrott 2.”
• Lewis Hamilton: “Any news from Charlie whether I can take it back or not.”
• Team (McLaren): “Still waiting on a response Lewis, still waiting.”
• Team (McLaren): “Lewis, work on your brakes please. Front brakes are cold.”
• Team (McLaren): “If we are able to use one KERS that would be good. If you deploy KERS please do so now.”
• Team (McLaren): “OK, Lewis, this is the last lap of the race. At the end of the lap the safety car will come in, you just proceed over the line without overtaking, without overtaking. We are looking into the Trulli thing, but just hold position.”

Update: Two days after the Malaysian Grand Prix, the FIA has invited McLaren Mercedes to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the WMSC to answer charges over the misleading information provided.