Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare season went from bad to worse yesterday when motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, announced that his McLaren team had been “invited” to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris at the end of the month (on Wednesday, 29 April, 2009).
This follows the accusations in Malaysia last weekend that they lied to the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix, which led to Hamilton and McLaren being disqualified from third place in Australia.
It is thought that driver and team could now face exclusion from this year’s championship if they are found guilty by the WMSC of the charges they face.
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Charges On McLaren Team By FIA
- on 29 March, 2009, told the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix that no instructions were given to Hamilton in Car No. 1 to allow Trulli in Car no. 9 to pass when both cars were behind the safety car, knowing this statement to be untrue;
- procured its driver Hamilton the current World Champion, to support and confirm this untrue statement to the stewards;
- although knowing that as a direct result of its untrue statement to the stewards, another driver and a rival team had been unfairly penalised, made no attempt to rectify the situation either by contacting the FIA or otherwise;
- on 2 April, 2009, at a second hearing before the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix, (meeting in Malaysia) made no attempt to correct the untrue statement of 29 March but, on the contrary, continued to maintain that the statement was true, despite being allowed to listen to a recording of the team instructing Hamilton to let Trulli past and despite being given more than one opportunity to correct its false statement;
- on 2 April, 2009, at the second stewards’ hearing, procured its driver Hamilton to continue to assert the truth of the false statement given to the stewards on 29 March, while knowing that what he was saying to the stewards was not true.”
“McLaren acknowledge receipt of an invitation to appear at an FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on April 29, received this (Tuesday) afternoon,” said a McLaren statement.
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“We undertake to co-operate fully with all WMSC processes, and welcome the opportunity to work with the FIA in the best interests of Formula 1.”
Hamilton, who issued an emotional public apology after the incident, is expected to escape further censure.
Ryan, who has worked for McLaren for 35 years, has now been sacked.
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