Barrichello to be disqualified?

UPDATE #2 "I never saw a red light," Barrichello was quoted by Autosport.com. "I will never see it and I don't pretend to see it. They are in the wrong places and by the time you see it, it is too late. You have already gone past it.

"Because of the new ECU, you have different functions and different knobs that you have to change all through the pitstops, and I am still doing that when I get to the lights."

When asked if a Marshall with a red flag should be placed at the end of the pitlane Barrichello replied: "At least. Or at least a big panel, like they had at Turn 3 to show yellow flags. You need something huge like that. My problem in the past 16 years of F1 is that the lights at the end of the pits, you don't see them. It has happened to Montoya, Massa and Kubica. Nobody will see it unless someone in the team is prepared to say there is a red light, or something else is done. It is unfortunate."

03/16/08 This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' today. Stewards on Sunday disqualified Rubens Barrichello from sixth position in the Australian grand prix because the Honda driver ran the red lights at the pit lane exit.

The news means that Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who otherwise had a nightmare first race as reigning world champion before stopping with a technical defect, moves into the points, as he was provisionally classified ninth and last.

Barrichello's infraction occurred after he served a pit lane penalty for illegally pitting for fuel in safety car conditions, and he also knocked over a couple of his pit members when he pulled away before the fuel hose was removed.

Oddly, the chaotic final classification of the Melbourne race means that both Raikkonen and Toro Rosso's Sebastien Bourdais scored points without actually finishing the grand prix.

Before Barrichello's exclusion was made official, rookie Bourdais said: "I hope we get two points and in a first grand prix, that's not too bad!"

03/16/08 Honda driver Rubens Barrichello clearly went through a pit exit red light during the Australian GP Sunday, which means he should be disqualified. However, still no word from the race stewards on what the outcome of that infraction will be.