Press Release

Stewards Decision – Australian GP

02/04/2009

PENALTY IMPOSED ON DRIVER NO 1 LEWIS HAMILTON AND COMPETITOR VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES

SUMMARY OF KEY CONSIDERATIONS
At the first hearing following the Australian Grand Prix the Stewards did not have the benefit of the radio exchanges between driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and his Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes nor did they have access to the comments to the Media given by Lewis Hamilton immediately after the end of the race.

From the video recordings available to the Stewards during the hearing it appeared that Jarno Trulli’s car left the track and car No 1 moved into third place. It then appeared that Trulli overtook Hamilton to regain third place, which at the time was prohibited as it was during the Safety Car period.

During the hearing, held approximately one hour after the end of the race, the Stewards and the Race Director questioned Lewis Hamilton and his Team Manager David Ryan specifically about whether there had been an instruction given to Hamilton to allow Trulli to overtake. Both the driver and the Team Manager stated that no such instruction had been given. The Race Director specifically asked Hamilton whether he had consciously allowed Trulli to overtake.  Hamilton insisted that he had not done so.

The new elements presented to the Stewards several days after the 2009 Australian Grand Prix which led to the reconvened Stewards Meeting clearly show that:

a. Immediately after the race and before Lewis Hamilton attended the Stewards Meeting he gave an interview to the Media where he clearly stated that the Team had told him to let Trulli pass.

b. Furthermore, the radio exchanges between the driver and the Team contain two explicit orders from the Team to let the Toyota pass.

The Stewards, having learned about the radio exchanges and the Media interview, felt strongly that they had been misled by the driver and his Team Manager which led to Jarno Trulli being unfairly penalised and Lewis Hamilton gaining third place.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Team Principle said,

“We are disappointed by what has happened but in the circumstances we are not going to appeal.”

He added,

“There is no implication that Lewis lied to the stewards.  As I understand there is a belief that the team was not explicit enough in the content of the radio communication between the team was withheld and that is misleading.

I believe it was a harsh decision.  Lewis made a legitimate pass and then was repassed – at the time the team asked race control several times about the repass but they were to busy to answer that question so we felt the decision in the immediate aftermath was fair.

I think it’s a regrettable day.  It certainly wasn’t a deliberate attempt (to mislead the stewards)”.

When Jarno Trulli was asked for his views on the decision, the Italian said,

“I am happy because I wanted some justice and I got it.  I am happy for myself and the team and I have to thank the FIA because it does not happen very often they reconsider something.

It must have been really hard for them, but they had common sense to really try and understand what was going on.  I have always been honest and it has paid off.

It was controversial end of the race and it was hard for anyone to understand, but I never lied.  I was honest in my statement and I never changed it.”

In my opinion, things do not look good for Hamilton or the McLaren Mercedes team.  With all the technology available to the stewards and officials today the truth is bound to come out in the end.  Did the McLaren team think they could get away with the dirty tactic to get Trulli to pass by slowing down, which seemed to me their intention, obviously they did but at least this time they have been caught out!