Saturday 22 March at 14:11 : Both McLaren drivers have been docked five places on the Sepang grid after stewards found them guilty of impeding in qualifying for the Malaysian grand prix.

Nick Heidfeld and Fernando Alonso complained to the stewards that, although up to half a dozen runners were driving very slowly while conserving fuel at the end of the sixty minute session, only Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were cruising on the racing line.

Kovalainen and Hamilton qualified third and fourth, so they will start Sunday's race from eighth and ninth respectively, the stewards revealed in a ruling that was handed down after 7pm local.

It is understood that the stewards took a particularly dim view of the fact that both McLaren runners were warned by radio that other drivers were still on flying laps behind them.

Other voices in the paddock on Saturday night were calling for a rule to be introduced for future grands prix, also on safety grounds, where drivers must maintain a specified minimum speed on slowing down laps.