MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Former world champion Lewis Hamilton has been charged with ‘intentional loss of control of a motor vehicle’ after performing a stunt in his Mercedes road car on a public street at the Australian Grand Prix in March.
The Briton, who finished sixth in the second Formula One race of the season, had his car impounded after spinning out the rear wheels at an intersection near the Albert Park circuit.
“A 25-year-old Swiss resident had a summons served on his solicitor on Monday May 17,” a spokeswoman for the Victoria police said yesterday.
“There is a court session at Melbourne magistrates court on the 24th of August and he’s been charged with intentionally loss of control of a vehicle.”
Hamilton, who moved to Switzerland in late 2007, has already apologised for the incident, which he described as “over-exuberant” and “silly”.
In 2007, the McLaren driver was fined and had his regular licence suspended for a month after being stopped by police in France for speeding on the motorway.
In that incident, the Briton was at the wheel of a Mercedes when he was clocked at 196 kph near the northern town of Laon.
