Hamilton Disqualified from Australian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has been excluded from the results of the Australian Grand Prix following a closer investigation made by stewards. In essence, they decided both the Englishman and his team McLaren "acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards at the hearing on Sunday 29th March 2009, a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code."

Stewards earlier this day announced that Jarno Trulli, who received a 25-second time penalty for overtaking Hamilton under Safety Car, will regain the third place of the podium.

"Under Article 158 of the International Sporting Code, the driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are excluded from the race classification for the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and the classification is amended accordingly," the stewards said in a statement for the press issued today.

McLaren has also released a statement, explaining the team does not plan to appeal the decision. Here's the complete statement as published by McLaren:

"The FIA Stewards have reviewed their decision of Sunday 29th March 2009, and have excluded Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton from the results of the 2009 Australian Grand Prix.

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."