So this is the move that has yet again been seen to damage Formula One! Once more the rule book is opened, the pages thumbed over then the thrown towards Lewis Hamilton. I know I said I was looking forward to a a season full of competition and controversy, but please can we get past one race weekend anymore without a driver being given a time penalty, investigated or in this case disqualified.
This morning Lewis Hamilton was summoned before the FIA to discuss what was described as "new evidence". He emerged without the 6 points he was thought to have gained from the Australian Grand Prix. After Sunday's race Hamilton was promoted one grid position from 4th to 3rd after Trulli was seen to have overtaken under the safety car (brought out due to Vettel's and Kubica's late collision).
However new evidence discovered by the FIA from team radio conversations between Hamilton and McClaren proved that both team and driver witheld information from race stewards.
The inquest now begins on whether the FIA were justified to take away the points from Hamilton four days after the Grand Prix in question and two days after Toyota said they had closed the book on the issue and were not going to contest Trulli's time penalty.
What do people think was it right for Hamilton to be disqualified or was he simply robbed of his points?
From my point of view we must go back to the basics of this incident. Trulli went wide under the safety car, for reasons unknown. I suspect that due to the low sun during that time of the race, Trulli misjudged the corner and simply went off the track out of error (as safety aspect Kubica made clear he was unhappy with to the BBC earlier this week) Hamilton passed Trulli at this time (breaking the rules of passing under the safety car). It was later during the lap that Hamilton slowed to allow Trulli to overtake and re-take his 3rd place position. It would be this move that would lead to Trulli originally getting his time penalty that would lose him the position.
I feel I have to make this point as I think it has been overlooked, what was Hamilton meant to do at the point when Trulli went off the track, follow suit or slow down so as not to overtake but risking his position from following cars? Of course he had to overtake! Then following the complex set of rules that has been created during the modern era of F1, he gave the place back. What else was the driver meant to do?
It is clear from listening to the two drivers team radio's during this closing stage of the race that confusion of who was in the right/wrong was not understood by either team and that race control were not quick enough to control the incident at the time. It was frantic end to this grand prix and race control failed to have control, creating a farce four days after the event.
No one can excuse bad sportsmanship, and if information was kept back from the race stewards then the decision has to be corrected. Big question though why were the team radio transmissions not checked sooner?
I feel this has been a confused issue from the beginning and that the McClaren team have not done themselves or their star driver any favours by not being clear from the off with this issue. My conclusion is that yet again McClaren have let Hamilton down.
Eddie Jordan today called today's findings "Damaging" to Lewis Hamilton. How damaging will this saga really be? Only time will tell, however it must be getting frustrating for such a talented driver to have so many people against him. The more F1 fans I talk to in Britain the more seem to have negative comments against the McClaren driver. This incident is not the first time either that the McClaren team have let Hamilton down and made a mistake that has cost the young driver points. Many fans will today be left wondering whether the relationship between team and driver is becoming ever increasingly frustrated and strained. Jordan is right, damage has been done but I think this incident may have damaged the relationship between driver and team. 
Well the clock is ticking, we all thought Hamilton was going into this weekends Malaysian Grand Prix with a respectable 6 points behind him, but today I feel Hamilton not only lost points but something from his reputation.
The saving grace is, with an almost certain chance of a wet race at the Sepang Circuit in 48 hours, will "the master in the wet" stick two figures up at his critics, get his helmet down and win it back in the superb style he knows how to deliver?
*****
With thanks to - YouTube contributers: mach4111, PicK1NG, yutubeqtuviste
Pictures from Getty Images supplied by BBC
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