28/03/2009
NEWS STORY
There is further misery for Lewis Hamilton as it is confirmed he will start from the back of the Melbourne grid following a change of gearbox.
The 2008 World Champion, who withdrew in the second phase of today's qualifying session following a "loss of drive", qualified fifteenth, behind his teammate.
However, investigation of the gearboxin his MP4-24 resulted in the team opting to change the unit, even though it would have been possible to change the damaged gears and thereby avoid a penalty.
"It was a gear failure," team boss Martin Whitmarsh told reporters confirming the decision, "and although we are allowed to change gears under the regulations, we will change the gearbox.
The current rules stipulate that gearboxes must last for four races.