On Tuesday, in a statement The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said it had charged the team of world champion Lewis Hamilton with breaching the international sporting code on five counts. MCLaren may have the chances of being excluded from the Formula One championship, after being summoned to face charges of lying to stewards at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

An extraordinary meeting of the FIA’s world motor sport council (WMSC) will be held in Paris on April 29, the Wednesday after the fourth round of the championship in Bahrain.

It will be McLaren’s third appearance before the WMSC in two years, with the team fined a record US$100 million (S$150 million) and stripped of all their constructors’ points in 2007 for a spying controversy involving Ferrari data in their possession.

The Mercedes-powered team were also charged with breaches of the same article 151c of the international sporting code on that occasion.

If the charges are upheld and the most extreme sanctions are applied, McLaren could be kicked out of the championship although a fine or points deduction is more likely.

The governing body has not pressed charges against Hamilton and has already made clear that it considers the 24-year-old Briton was put in an impossible position.