Lewis Hamilton suspension in Melbourne

Ok, this one’s old news by now, but still worth including on the blog for future reference.

Sources: http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090402110240.shtml; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lewishamilton/5096265/Lewis-Hamiltons-reputation-tarnished-after-Melbourne-controversy.html

Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the Melbourne F1 race for misleading race stewards (Charlie Whiting, Olafur Gudmundsson & Steve Chopping) over an on-track incident with Jarno Trulli.

Essentially, the facts are that there was a collision between Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) and Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) which led to a safety car being deployed. As Trulli went around a corner, he went wide and left the track. He was then passed by Lewis Hamilton. Dave Ryan (McLaren’s Sporting Director) then instructed Lewis to slow down in order to let Trulli pass him to regain third place (for fear of a repeat of the 2008 incident, with Ferrari where Lewis was docked points). At the end of the race however, McLaren complained that Trulli had overtaken during a safety car phase and Trulli received a 25second time-penalty which demoted him to 12^th place, while Lewis was promoted to 3^rd.

Both McLaren and Lewis were charged with a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code (acting in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards). Allegedly the team was not explicit enough in releasing the content of the radio transmission between the team and Hamilton during the incident. Interestingly, this was the same Article 151c that McLaren were held to have breached in the infamous spy-gate scandal over the use of Ferrari data.

FIA Charge sheet: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/mclaren/5120783/FIA-charge-sheet-for-McLaren-in-full.html

Martin Whitmarsh (team principal for Mclaren), who was on holiday after the incident, placed all the blame for this decision on Ryan, and suggested that a culture of cheating did not exist at McLaren. A transcript of the April 5^th press conference with Whitmarsh can be read here: http://timesonline.typepad.com/formula_one/2009/04/whitmarsh-it-was-incompetance-not-conspiracy.html

While a transcript of Hamilton’s radio transmission can be read here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lewishamilton/5095480/Lewis-Hamilton-disqualification-radio-transmission-transcript.html

Dave Ryan was suspended by McLaren and subsequently sacked, while Lewis Hamilton publicly apologised for “wasting the steward’s time” and claimed he had been misled by Ryan.

Blacked up fan seen at Spanish Grand Prix (again)

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/hamilton-race-row-is-revived-by-blackedup-spectator-1682714.html; http://www.everyrace.net/; http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8042572.stm 

Newspapers have reported that a spectator who had blacked-up his arms, face and hands whilst wearing a McLaren shirt was spotted amongst the 92,430 attendance on the Sunday 10th May race of the Spanish Grand Prix, at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

A spokeswoman for the International Automobile Federation (FIA) confirmed that: “We are aware of it and looking into it,” however there was no suggestion that Lewis Hamilton had experienced any abuse.

The FIA had previously warned the Spanish authorities that they could face sanctions if there was any repeat of the incidents experienced by Hamilton, Formula One’s first black champion, at a test in February 2008. During that incident, a group of people painted their faces black and wore curly wigs and Tshirts proclaiming they were ‘Hamilton’s family’. The outrage at this incident led to the FIAs anti-racism initiative – EveryRace.

Watch the Full video clip of the fan here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8042572.stm