Hamilton Stripped of Aussie Podium

Lewis Hamilton has been stripped of his podium finish and championship points from the Australian Grand Prix after a review by race stewards.

After initially finishing in fourth place at Albert Park he was promoted to third when Toyota driver Jarno Trulli was handed a 25 second penalty. A review of the decision has seen Trulli reinstated in third and Hamilton disqualified after 'new elements' of the investigation were discovered by the FIA.

A statement on the Official Formula One website revealed, “The Stewards have 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."

The hearing was held at the Sepang circuit, host of this Sunday's Malaysian grand prix. World champion Lewis Hamilton left without comment, but a spokesman for his team ensured the driver is not at fault.

"Vodafone McLaren Mercedes understands that the Stewards made their decision on the basis of reviewing radio transmissions between the driver and the Team. The Team mistakenly believed that the radio transmissions had been reviewed by the FIA on Sunday 29th March 2009, and consequently did not believe it was necessary to discuss them with the Stewards on that date. Nonetheless, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team now regrets that it did not do so, accepts the Stewards' decision and will not appeal."

This decision is the latest in a list of decisions that have seen the FIA punish Mclaren and Hamilton. The team have found the FIA to be unforgiving of their actions since the Spygate scandal which tarnished the 2007 season. They were fined £50m and stripped of their constructors points for the season.

Hamilton was also demoted from first after the Belgian Grand Prix last season after he was adjudged to have unfairly overtaken Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen. The Brit had cut the last corner after Raikkonen squeezed him off the track and immediately allowed the Fin back in front. Despite this, his overtake at the following corner was classed unfair and Hamilton was pushed back to second.

The third place in Sydney had been the silver lining on Hamilton's opening weekend which had seen him a long way off the pace of the front runners, but this decision now leaves him even further from retaining his title.