Melbourne  - Toyota are to appeal the 25-second penalty imposed on driver Jarno Trulli after the Italian was deemed to have overtaken under safety car conditions during Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Trulli slid off the track in the safety car phase which forced Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes to pass him. Trulli then moved ahead of the world champion again, but the stewards deemed this move illegal under safety car conditions.

Melbourne  - The next round in the fight over aerodynamics among the Formula One teams is to take place after the Australian and Malaysian grands prix.

Motorsport's ruling body FIA said Saturday that it set a hearing before its appeal board for April 14 in Paris

London, Mar 28 : Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted that his F1 world title defence was already in trouble.

The Brit, who finished 16th and 18th in early qualifying for tomorrow's opener in Australia, said: "We're clearly not in the place where we would love to be. But we're working extremely hard, as hard as we can."

London, Mar 28 : British Formula One driver Jenson Button fears world champion and fellow countrymen Lewis Hamilton is an accident waiting to happen, with both his No. 1 status and welfare on the race circuit under threat.

A troubled Hamilton insists his McLaren is so uncompetitive that he may fail to win a point.

Button warns his British rival to expect an unfamiliar shunt or two if he is left fighting it out for the minor places instead of roaring away at the front of the grid.

Melbourne - Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has refuted claims by the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) that he owes it money from the previous three championship years.

"Formula One Administration Limited (FOA), the commercial rights holder of Formula One, wishes to clarify and correct inaccurate and misleading statements made to the media by FOTA," said Ecclestone in a statement.