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.
So, opinions: they had it coming, or is this another chapter of witch hunting?
), surely he has enough of a brain to know right from wrong, and actually question the directive given to him on what to say to the stewards. I don't buy that at all. Clearly Hamilton is guilty at minimum of sheer bloody-minded stupidity.
). McLaren were caught in a lie with concrete evidence to back up the accusation.
