A top McLaren official has been suspended following the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton from the Australian Grand Prix.
Sporting director Dave Ryan has been at McLaren for 35 years. He was present when Hamilton was called in to meet Formula One stewards.
The British driver had been moved up to third from fourth, after Jarno Trulli was handed a 25-second penalty for overtaking the reigning champion behind the safety car.
But following the discovery of new evidence regarding radio transmissions during the race, it was found that Hamilton had given “deliberately misleading” evidence, and he was disqualified.
Because of Ryan’s role in events, he was suspended from the team this morning.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: “In my 20-odd years working for McLaren, I doubt if I’ve met a more dedicated individual than Davey. He's been an integral part of McLaren since 1974 and has played a crucial role in the team’s many world championship successes since that time.
"However, his role in the events of last Sunday, particularly his dealings with the FIA stewards, has caused serious repercussions for the team, for which we apologise. Therefore, I suspended him this morning and he has accepted this.”
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