Indian Grand Prix: Hamilton, Perez handed grid penalties

Lewis Hamilton fell foul of the Formula One stewards once again on Friday when he was handed a three-place penalty on the starting grid for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix after ignoring yellow warning flags in first practice.

The McLaren driver had set the fastest lap, in the final seconds, in the first ever session run at the Buddh International circuit.

Sauber's Mexican Sergio Perez was also handed a similar sanction after stewards ruled he had committed the same offence of ignoring double waved yellow flags at turn 16 while a car was being recovered by marshals in close proximity to the track.

The sanction ended Hamilton's hopes of a second successive pole position on Saturday after qualifying fastest in the last race in South Korea.

It also boosted Red Bull's chances of setting a Formula One record of 16 poles in a single season. The champions have already chalked up 15.

Hamilton has made regular appearances in front of the stewards this season after a series of crashes and controversies.

One of the four stewards for Sunday''s grand prix is Hamilton's fellow-Briton and former racer Johnny Herbert.