Formula One news

FIA to examine Whitmarsh TV interview

Governing body the FIA has been in contact with the BBC, Formula One broadcaster of the United Kingdom, to request copies of an interview with McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh following the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The footage reveals the team principal's opinion of the Hamilton-Trulli on-track incident, which has since led to severe consequences for the English team.

The scandal, which began when Hamilton yielded third position to Jarno Trulli under safety car conditions, was revealed when a recording of the team's radio channel proved that the World Champion had been clearly instructed to allow Trulli - who had run off the circuit - to retake the place, despite Hamilton and team manager Dave Ryan stating otherwise to the event stewards after the race.

Ted Kravitz spoke to Whitmarsh just minutes after the race

Their actions led to Trulli, who had been handed with a 25-second penalty, retaking his place as McLaren were disqualified from the event with further sanctions pending. Ryan, meantime, was suspended by team principal Martin Whitmarsh and has since been offloaded by the team.

British media now reports, however, that the FIA has written to the BBC in order to obtain the interview; conducted during the podium ceremony and later shown on the BBC's interactive F1 Forum feature, it is likely to be the first containing the views of Whitmarsh, as he spoke to Ted Kravitz on the McLaren pit wall with, notably, Ryan still present before attending the stewards' office.


Transcript of the interview (with Trulli having finished third, ahead of Hamilton): 


Ted Kravitz: Well Martin, I spoke to you at the beginning of the race and you said you'd be satisfied with a point - you got more than that!

Martin Whitmarsh: Yes Lewis did a great job, so did the team, a great stop at the end. In fact there's some debate over whether it's a third place at the moment given that Trulli fell off and repassed under a safety (safety car conditions) but anyway, whatever, it was a solid result and obviously it relied on a bit of attrition. We know the car's not quick enough yet, we've got to do a lot more work, we'll be doing that in the coming races but Lewis and the team did a great job in the circumstances today.

TK: Okay so just explain that at the end - what happened? Because I'm not sure we saw that, why isn't Lewis third?

MW: Well, at the end - under the safety car - Trulli fell off onto the grass and Lewis had no choice but to go past him, he's not on the racing circuit. Trulli then retook the place under the safety car which ordinarily you wouldn't do, so I know that the FIA are looking at it at the moment and doubtless we'll have a ruling in due course.

TK: Okay but, you would normally expected then Lewis to have taken that place and it could be six points.

MW: Well, we would - that's our position at the moment but we'll see what happens in the coming minutes or hours.

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