RE: Hamilton Officially Charged Over Aussie GP Burnout
Monday 24th May 2010
Lewis Hamilton has been officially charged for his 'over-exuberance' with the company C63 AMG before the Australian Grand Prix in March.
Hamilton Officially Charged Over Aussie GP Burnout
F1 ace's case to appear before Melbourne court in August
Hamilton's Australian solicitor has been served with a summons, charging Lewis with intentionally losing control of a vehicle.
Hamilton was stopped by the Victoria state police and had his company Mercedes impounded for two days for allegedly doing a burnout at the entrance to the Albert Park track on 26 March - thus contravening Victoria's strict 'anti-hoon' laws.
The case is set to come before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 24 August. That's just five days before the Belgian GP, so the chances of Lewis attending in person seem pretty slim.
Still, whatever the Magistrates' verdict, the whole episode sends a pretty clear message to any potentially over-exuberant drivers heading to Melbourne: the police are watching your tyre smoke...
Discussion
PhillT said:
"...wobbling the rear of a vehicle to slow it down"? Interesting description...
I'm no legal mind, but surely a lawyer worth his salt would be able to convince, well, anyone, that a Formula 1 world champion spinning the back wheels of a car had not lost control of the vehicle?
Well, that was my first thought. A few bits of footage of Hamilton chucking it around the corners ought to be enough (they might want to skip the ones where he ends up off the road though....I'm no legal mind, but surely a lawyer worth his salt would be able to convince, well, anyone, that a Formula 1 world champion spinning the back wheels of a car had not lost control of the vehicle?
)DangerousMike said:
the bbc website says he was charged with "intentionally losing control of a vehicle"
firstly, is that not an oxymoron?
secondly, does wheel spin necessarily imply loss of control?
Agreed. I very much doubt he ever lost control but I also doubt that it'll be contested.firstly, is that not an oxymoron?
secondly, does wheel spin necessarily imply loss of control?
It's unbelievable. From what I heard the road was closed to public for the grand prix and he did it for fans. And think they need to define 'out of control'. He is just being made and example of and someone else trying to make a name for them self. Even webber slated the nanny state it's become. Just hope this attitude doesn't spread, the UK is bad enough as it is. It's probably only going to get worse.
stemll said:
DangerousMike said:
the bbc website says he was charged with "intentionally losing control of a vehicle"
firstly, is that not an oxymoron?
secondly, does wheel spin necessarily imply loss of control?
Agreed. I very much doubt he ever lost control but I also doubt that it'll be contested.firstly, is that not an oxymoron?
secondly, does wheel spin necessarily imply loss of control?
130R said:
Apparently the Aussie authorities are even more retarded than ours when it comes to things like this.
yep, i'm 6'2, 120kgs, have an honours degree, no criminal record and have to wait several years to enter the police force due my speeding tickets. It is insane, they have billboards on freeways with stuff like "if you don't slow down you will kill someone". Captain Flashman said:
130R said:
Apparently the Aussie authorities are even more retarded than ours when it comes to things like this.
yep, i'm 6'2, 120kgs, have an honours degree, no criminal record and have to wait several years to enter the police force due my speeding tickets. It is insane, they have billboards on freeways with stuff like "if you don't slow down you will kill someone". I would think someone like Hamilton could powerslide his car at huge angles round any corner on a race track and remain in total control nevermind spin the wheels a bit, they are just coming across as having no common sense at all and I hope the high power lawyers McLaren will hire will tear them a new one.
He could plead not guilty, stand up in the dock and say 'I am the best driver in the world, I was always in control'.
The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
Magog said:
He could plead not guilty, stand up in the dock and say 'I am the best driver in the world, I was always in control'.
The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
Oh no, can open, worms everywhere.The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
In a bad case of unintended irony, when I viewed the story a banner ad came up, suggesting that I might want to immigrate to Aussie.
But that's not why I'm posting.
W.r.t. the points, when I visited Sydney on honeymoon, the then-new Mrs bikemonster and I borrowed my dad's Elise and went to get ice creams at Akuna Bay. I wore shorts and t-shirt, trainers and sunnies. I left my wallet and just took some money for ice creams.
And I got nabbed for speeding on a "double demerit weekend". Double points. Which, not having an Aussie driving licence was not a concern. The eye-wateringly, scrotum-shrivellingly fierce speeding ticket was. Then again, I was not so foolish as to intentionally lose control of the vehicle.
Point being, LH will not have to worry about the points.
But that's not why I'm posting.
W.r.t. the points, when I visited Sydney on honeymoon, the then-new Mrs bikemonster and I borrowed my dad's Elise and went to get ice creams at Akuna Bay. I wore shorts and t-shirt, trainers and sunnies. I left my wallet and just took some money for ice creams.
And I got nabbed for speeding on a "double demerit weekend". Double points. Which, not having an Aussie driving licence was not a concern. The eye-wateringly, scrotum-shrivellingly fierce speeding ticket was. Then again, I was not so foolish as to intentionally lose control of the vehicle.
Point being, LH will not have to worry about the points.
Magog said:
He could plead not guilty, stand up in the dock and say 'I am the best driver in the world, I was always in control'.
The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
Arf! The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
He won't be in court anyway. it's 3 days before Spa.
Magog said:
He could plead not guilty, stand up in the dock and say 'I am the best driver in the world, I was always in control'.
The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
The only way they could possibly prove that he wasn't would be to find a better driver and get them to disprove him, they'd have to call Fernando Alonso for the prosecution.
Captain Flashman said:
130R said:
Apparently the Aussie authorities are even more retarded than ours when it comes to things like this.
yep, i'm 6'2, 120kgs, have an honours degree, no criminal record and have to wait several years to enter the police force due my speeding tickets. It is insane, they have billboards on freeways with stuff like "if you don't slow down you will kill someone". 
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff