McLaren has been given a suspended three-race ban for bringing the sport into disrepute after lying to stewards at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix.

Following a hearing of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday (April 29th), the governing body announced that since McLaren had admitted to the offences and made clear that there had been a change of ‘culture’ at the team, it has suspended the sentence that it deemed appropriate.

A statement issued by the FIA said: “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.

“That penalty is a suspension of the team from three races of the FIA Formula One World Championship. 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 151c of the International Sporting Code.”

McLaren had been called before the WMSC to answer charges relating to former sporting director Dave Ryan and Lewis Hamilton lying to stewards about whether an order had been given to let Jarno Trulli overtake the world champion at the Australian Grand Prix.

The team was only found to have lied when radio transmissions, and copies of interviews Hamilton had given to the press immediately after the hearing came to light.

In the wake of the events, McLaren sacked Ryan and team principal Whitmarsh wrote a letter of apology to the governing body. Furthermore, former team boss Ron Dennis announced that he was stepping away totally from the F1 team in a move not unconnected to the matter – despite claims from Dennis otherwise.

Whitmarsh chose to appear at the FIA hearing in Paris alone, staying for less than an hour to apologise for all that had happened.

Speaking to reporters on the steps of the FIA building, Whitmarsh said: “We’ve made mistakes, we’ve apologised to the FIA and the public. We await the decision.”

When asked if he hoped today’s events would mark the end of the affair, he said: “I very much hope so.”

Source: Autosport.com

So technically, the penalty will only be enforced upon Lewis Hamilton and McLaren if “further facts emerge” about this incident or if there is a “further breach” of the rules. This is great news for Formula One. We can now refocus our attention on the track rather than the politics.

McLaren has been summoned to appear before the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council on April 29 to answer charges that it has brought Formula 1 into disrepute over the controversy surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s Australian Grand Prix disqualification.

The team has been summoned after it ‘deliberately misled’ stewards at the Australian Grand Prix during a hearing into Jarno Trulli overtaking Lewis Hamilton behind the safety car in the closing stages of the Melbourne race.

The FIA announced on Tuesday that the team will appear before the extraordinary WMSC hearing in Paris on the Wednesday after the Bahrain GP to answer charges that it has breached Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

The rule states that competitors are in breach of the regulations if they take part in: “Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally.”

The FIA claims that McLaren may have broken the regulations on five counts, that:

* 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 has already admitted that sporting director Dave Ryan and Hamilton lied to the stewards during the hearing in Australia, and a second meeting on the eve of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Ryan has been suspended by the team, and Hamilton made an open apology for his actions after revealing that he had been advised by Ryan not to tell the full truth.

“I’ve never felt so bad,” he said during an emotional press conference in Malaysia last week. “Try and put yourself in my position and understand that, like I said, I am not a liar. I have not gone through my life being a liar or dishonest. And so for people to say I am dishonest and for the world to think that….what can I say?”

It is possible that Hamilton could be called to testify at the WMSC hearing to clarify his involvement in the matter.

His father-manager Anthony was understood to have been in contact with FIA president Max Mosley during the course of last week’s Malaysian GP weekend as the fallout from the controversy spiralled out of control.

In addition, the McLaren team have fired Dave Ryan for his involvement in this matter.

“McLaren acknowledges receipt of an invitation to appear at an FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on April 29, received this afternoon,” said McLaren in a statement issued on Tuesday (April 7th).

“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.

“This afternoon McLaren and its former sporting director, Dave Ryan, have formally parted company. As a result, he is no longer an employee of any of the constituent companies of the McLaren Group.”

Source: Autosport.com

Unfortunately with the FIA embracing the roles of Police,Judge and Executioner, no criticism can/will ever be directed to itself even when the stewards failed in their capacity to make appropriate decisions quickly , ones that would prevent a minor infringement to snowball intro something that would ultimately damage the sport.
Bad management of “IndyGate” in 2005 effectively finished off F1 in the US . Lessons have not been learnt ……….

So IMO he must leave, or get some of that attitude and direct it to the team. Shuey has also lied, and IMO done far, far wors things than that, inc being DQ’d for the whole freaking season! BUt he had respect from the team, and could drive the wheels of that car. Lewis can do the same, but he needs to step up to the mark, and instead of the team telling what to do, he must tell them what to do. It’s either that or leave.

Then we have the next moment where Lewis lost his balls, and went along with David’s suggestion of lying. Again, despite video evidence show Lewis was legally 3rd and even telling the TV cameras that just minutes before.

I just cannot believe the team would do this. They have an appalling record with the stewards, and to do this, on just the first race was suicide. They have made the Ferrari Gate of two season ago seem like a pillow fight. This will ruin their reputation for a long, long time. Lewis is one of the most hated drivers ( though I’ve seen much worse attitudes in the past ) , so this will be stuck to him for the rest of his F1 life. Sportsman have done far worse and have come out of it OK in the end, but I know no-one will let this go. I mean what about a footballer doing a swan dive in the box and that wins them the Cup? It’s a lie just the same. but it’s an accepted part of the game, so go figure.

What I also hate is the fact that I cannot wear my McLaren jacket for long time also.

Thanks a bunch guys, you are utter idiots.