McLaren Escape Penalty With Suspended Sentence

Following a World Motor Sport Council hearing, motor sport governing body the FIA has handed the McLaren F1 team a suspended three-race ban for misleading stewards at the Australian Grand Prix, a decision that allows Lewis Hamilton to continue to race in this year’s world championship. 

The British team admitted five charges of breaching F1 rules at a special inquiry in Paris but the suspended sentence means that the penalty will only be enforced upon the team if ‘further facts emerge’ about this incident or if there is a ‘further breach’ of the rules.

The FIA said the approach of McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh in dealing with the incident once the full details had emerged, helped in earning them a suspension to the penalty they have received.

‘Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren team principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate,’ read a World Motor Sport Council statement.

‘This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151 c of the International Sporting Code.’

The incident occurred towards the end of the season-opening race in Melbourne where world champion Hamilton finished fourth behind Jarno Trulli’s Toyota.

Following the race, McLaren accused the Italian of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.

Officials initially handed Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after he and McLaren’s long-serving sporting director Dave Ryan gave evidence that the Englishman had not deliberately let the Toyota driver through, and had not been asked by the team to do so.

However McLaren’s radio communication contradicted this and Hamilton was later disqualified with Trulli reinstated to third place.

Hamilton, who issued an emotional public apology after the incident in which he insisted was not a ‘liar’, has escaped punishment from the FIA and is free to drive at the next race in Spain on 10th May.

After full details were revealed, Whitmarsh made the decision to sack Ryan after 35 years with the team.

Former McLaren principal Ron Dennis, Whitmarsh’s predecessor, also moved away from having any direct involvement with F1 – although he insisted this was not in any way related to the incident.

After appearing at the hearing in Paris, Whitmarsh said: ‘We are aware that we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia, and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again.

‘I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA World Motor Sport Council members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again.’