Re: 2009 Formula One
The FIA has published the key evidence that led to Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix – including audio recordings that reveal he was instructed to let Jarno Trulli pass him.
[COLOR=Red]Trulli was penalised after the race for illegally overtaking Hamilton under safety car conditions, but the stewards rescinded that penalty when they reconvened in Malaysia on Thursday after finding that Hamilton had allowed the Toyota driver past.[/COLOR]
The stewards excluded Hamilton from the results on the basis that he and McLaren had given them a “deliberately misleading” account of events.
McLaren subsequently apologised for the confusion it had caused but stressed that it had not intentionally misled the stewards.
The team said it had not mentioned its radio exchanges with Hamilton at the post-race hearing in the mistaken belief that the FIA had already reviewed them.
However, the latest statement published by the FIA summarising the stewards’ reasons disputes that explanation.
It says Hamilton and McLaren team manager Dave Ryan explicitly denied that any instruction was given to let Trulli past.
[COLOR=Red]The recording of the radio transmissions reveals that Hamilton was told to cede the place back to Trulli and quickly responded to the instruction – although McLaren continued to seek clarification of the situation from FIA race director Charlie Whiting and Hamilton asked whether he would be able to repass the Toyota.
A second audio recording confirms that Hamilton told journalists immediately after the race – before the stewards’ meeting – that he had been told to let Trulli through.[/COLOR]
The statement said: “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:
[COLOR=Red]“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.[/COLOR]
“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.”
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