McLaren suspends sporting director for misleading

[April 04, 2009]  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- McLaren suspended long-standing sporting director Dave Ryan on Friday, blaming him for the misleading statements to stewards that resulted in Lewis Hamilton's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh sent Ryan home shortly before opening practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Ryan, who has been with the team for 35 years, accompanied Hamilton to the post-race stewards hearing in Melbourne which punished Jarno Trulli for overtaking the Briton when behind the safety car. That decision lifted Hamilton to third.

Ryan and Hamilton did not tell stewards that Hamilton had been advised by the McLaren team to let Trulli through. The stewards' hearing was reopened Thursday, and after listening to team radio communications, they reversed the decision. Hamilton was disqualified from the race for "deliberately misleading" stewards, and Trulli was restored to third place.

Whitmarsh said he and Ryan discussed the situation Thursday night and Friday morning before the decision was made to suspend him.

"As we explored it more with him over the past 24 hours, he was not as full and complete as he should have been," Whitmarsh said.

"I had to take an incredibly difficult decision. I have personally known Davy for 20 years."

Whitmarsh acknowledged Hamilton also misled the stewards, but said he was acting on Ryan's lead.

"Lewis was not entirely truthful," Whitmarsh said.

"In the heat of the moment, (Ryan's) judgment was to not give a truthful account, and Lewis was led by that.

"The team and myself are not only deeply embarrassed but deeply regretful."

Whitmarsh said a decision on Ryan's future with the team will be decided after this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix.

[Associated Press; By CHRIS LINES]

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