McLaren won't appeal Hamilton exclusion

Hamilton was disqualified from the race result on Thursday after the FIA stewards deemed the Briton and his McLaren team had "acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards" following the Melbourne race, where Hamilton was elevated to third following a penalty to Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

Following the discovery of new evidence, believed to be radio transmissions, the stewards summoned both Trulli and Hamilton again today and decided to withdrawn the Italian's penalty while throwing the Briton out of the race.

McLaren said in a statement on Thursday that the team thought the FIA had already reviewed the radio transmissions after the race, and did not believe "it was necessary to discuss them with the stewards on that date."

The team said it will not appeal Hamilton's exclusion.

"The FIA Stewards have reviewed their decision of Sunday 29th March 2009, and have excluded Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton from the results of the 2009 Australian Grand Prix," said McLaren in a statement.

"Vodafone McLaren Mercedes understands that the Stewards made their decision on the basis of reviewing radio transmissions between the driver and the Team.

"The Team mistakenly believed that the radio transmissions had been reviewed by the FIA on Sunday 29th March 2009, and consequently did not believe it was necessary to discuss them with the Stewards on that date.

"Nonetheless, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team now regrets that it did not do so, accepts the Stewards' decision and will not appeal."