BARCELONA: Lewis Hamilton was stripped of pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix yesterday and sent to the back of the starting grid after his McLaren team failed to put enough fuel in the Briton's car.

The governing FIA said its four race stewards had excluded the 2008 Formula One world champion from the results of the qualifying session.

The decision means Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado will start today's race on pole position, the first for Williams since 2010, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso alongside for Ferrari.

Hamilton was told by the team his car had a problem on the slowing down lap after taking pole and was ordered to stop immediately without returning to the pits as the rules demand.

McLaren had argued force majeure but the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said its stewards rejected that defence.