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Formula One giants McLaren Mercedes have been summoned to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris three days after the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix to answer charges over their behaviour at the opening race of the season.
Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from third place in the Australian Grand Prix for not telling the stewards at the race that he had been instructed to allow Jarno Trulli to pass him during the race when the safety car was out on the track.
The incident earned the Italian a 25-second penalty, which saw him relegated, with Hamilton promoted onto the podium but at a hearing the FIA ruled Hamilton and his team lied about the circumstances. Trulli was reinstated and Hamilton disqualified which led to the Briton apparently being so distraught that he threatened to leave the sport entirely but was persuaded by FIA chief Max Mosley not to.
McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan was fired after the announcement of the hearing after initially being suspended last week and sent home from the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Now, though, the FIA want a fuller examination of the facts surrounding the case and among the answers they wish to know is why the team persisted even at the enquiry in Malaysia last Thursday with the line that they had not instructed Hamilton to allow Trulli to pass him.
McLaren, partly owned by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, later issued a statement saying they would co-operate fully with the FIA. "McLaren acknowledge receipt of an invitation to appear at an FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting in Paris on April 29," read the statement.
We undertake to co-operate fully with all WMSC processes and welcome the opportunity to work with the FIA in the best interests of Formula One."
McLaren have had previous trouble with the WMSC, who disqualified them from the constructors' championship and fined them $100 million as part of the spy scandal with Ferrari in 2007.
Mumtalakat, the company representing the Kingdom of Bahrain, has a 30 per cent stake in McLaren.
Hamilton's father Anthony is reportedly considering whether he should advise his son Lewis to leave McLaren. In the wake of the 'liargate' scandal, which saw the near-tearful world champion offer a grovelling public apology, the Daily Mail in the UK claims that 'Hamilton's future with McLaren is on a knife-edge'.
Martin Brundle, a former driver-turned-pundit who also acted as an advisor to David Coulthard during the Scot's racing career, speculated whether the details of the scandal may itself offer Hamilton an escape route.
Talal Al Zain, chief executive officer of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, said: "These things happen. There are always disagreements on matters that occur in every sport and every game. McLaren is still one of the key teams in the F1 race and add substantial value to the event.
"In terms of our investment it goes beyond the race as we are also investing in the overall company."
