AFP

Sepang (Malaysia), Apr 2: World champion Lewis Hamilton was Thursday disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix with his third place given back to Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

The sport's governing body ruled that the Briton deliberately provided misleading information on the circumstances leading to Trulli's being penalised for passing him under safety car conditions on lap 57.

Hamilton was fourth at the time and Trulli third. The Italian was subsequently slapped with a 25 second penalty, which saw him relegated to 12th.

Thursday's decision not only hands Trulli back a podium place but sees Hamilton and McLaren excluded from the race classification.

"The stewards, having considered new elements presented to them, consider that Lewis Hamilton and McLaren Mercedes acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event," the FIA said.

It added that Hamilton provided "evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards" at the hearing in Melbourne on Sunday.

The new elements the FIA considered are believed to be radio conversations between Hamilton and his McLaren team.

Trulli has always maintained his innocence, claiming Hamilton slowed down on purpose.

"The FIA really got it wrong in that decision. We have all the evidence, including Hamilton's admission, that I did not overtake him. He let me pass," he said earlier Thursday.

"Under those circumstances, Hamilton had a problem and he slowed down, almost stopping. And he allowed me to pass. There was nothing else I could do but keep going, and in order to do that I had to pass him."

The race was won by Jenson Button in a Brawn with his teammate Rubens Barrichello second.