From GMM
Following a stewards' inquiry, Jarno Trulli has been stripped of his podium finish in the Australian grand prix.
The FIA officials ruled that the Toyota driver overtook Lewis Hamilton under the safety car, after losing third position to the world champion by running off the track.
Italian Trulli received a 25 second time penalty, dropping him out of the points. McLaren's Hamilton was promoted to third, with Sebastien Bourdais joining the points-paying positions.
Toyota has filed an appeal against FIA stewards' decision. A disappointed Trulli explained that he only overtook the reigning world champion because Hamilton "suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road".
"I thought he had a problem," the 34-year-old said, "so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."
In another stewards' decision, Sebastian Vettel was penalised ten places for his Australian grand prix crash with Robert Kubica. Stewards ruled that Vettel caused the incident.
"Should I have let him go? You always want to fight. Maybe I should have said let him go and bring third back home, but that's life," said Vettel, who had been fighting with Pole Kubica for second place.
The $50,000 fine, meanwhile, was levied because Red Bull officials instructed the 21-year-old by radio to continue to race his three-wheeled car rather than pull it to the side of the Melbourne layout.
Following a stewards' inquiry, Jarno Trulli has been stripped of his podium finish in the Australian grand prix.
The FIA officials ruled that the Toyota driver overtook Lewis Hamilton under the safety car, after losing third position to the world champion by running off the track.
Italian Trulli received a 25 second time penalty, dropping him out of the points. McLaren's Hamilton was promoted to third, with Sebastien Bourdais joining the points-paying positions.
Toyota has filed an appeal against FIA stewards' decision. A disappointed Trulli explained that he only overtook the reigning world champion because Hamilton "suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road".
"I thought he had a problem," the 34-year-old said, "so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."
In another stewards' decision, Sebastian Vettel was penalised ten places for his Australian grand prix crash with Robert Kubica. Stewards ruled that Vettel caused the incident.
"Should I have let him go? You always want to fight. Maybe I should have said let him go and bring third back home, but that's life," said Vettel, who had been fighting with Pole Kubica for second place.
The $50,000 fine, meanwhile, was levied because Red Bull officials instructed the 21-year-old by radio to continue to race his three-wheeled car rather than pull it to the side of the Melbourne layout.