FIA AMENDS STEWARDS POLICY.(NEWS)

In light of the controversial steward decision that cost Lewis Hamilton a potentially title-deciding win in the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA World Motor Sport Council will implement changes for 2009 in the hopes of avoiding questionable decisions in the future.

Next year, every new steward must have acted as an official observer at a minimum of one Grand Prix before being granted a license, and several "apprentice stewards will attend five events. After every steward decision, the FIA will publish full explanations by the stewards, and where appropriate, additional film evidence that the public might not have seen will be made available on the FIA and Formula One Web sites. The stewards also will be instructed always to make their decisions during the race, unless they need to get additional evidence.

In Belgium, stewards imposed a retrospective time penalty on race winner Hamiltonafter the race director told Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes team during the race that he believed the driver's pass of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was legitimate. But the stewards ruled after the race that Hamilton had gained an advantage at the previous corner, when he cut a chicane. The penalty was met with widespread cynicism and criticism, and it dropped Hamilton to third place and promoted Felipe Massa to first. Without that decision, Hamilton would have wrapped up the title when he won in China. With it, the matter went to the last corner of the last lap of the last race.

EVERNHAM OUT

Ray Evernham, who left Hendrick Motorsports in 2000 to bring Dodge back into NASCAR and start his own team, soon will leave his post.

The three-time Cup-winning crew chief for Jeff Gordon said that he will sell his remaining 20 percent interest in Gillett Evernham Motorsports. He said he is no longer deeply involved with the struggling organization that features Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne and A. J. Allmendinger. (Reed Sorenson will come aboard next year.) Evernham also said that he does not want to own another team and does not foresee having a management role with any team.

TEAM AUSTRALIA DONE?