The penalty might be harsh, but the loss of Lewis Hamilton’s pole in Spain is just the latest calamitous mistake by McLaren.

That was the tone of the paddock’s reaction to the news late on Saturday that a McLaren gaffe saw the FIA send Hamilton from first to last on the Spanish grand prix grid.

The Sun newspaper called it a draconian “24-place grid penalty” imposed by the FIA after an “astonishing cock-up” by McLaren.

Hamilton was told on the radio to pull over after his pole lap due to a “technical problem”.

Sporting director Sam Michael argued ‘force majeure’, but the stewards ruled that it had been entirely McLaren’s fault that not enough fuel was put into Hamilton’s car to ensure a scrutineering fuel sample.

Writing in the Telegraph, Tom Cary said the severity of the disqualification “raised eyebrows”, but agreed that “McLaren’s mistake was horrendous”.

He said it has been “a season of errors” by the famous British team, who are yet to get Hamilton’s signature on a new contract beyond 2012.

“Hamilton must be seething,” read an article in the Daily Mail newspaper, while The Times laid out McLaren’s “catalogue of errors”.

27-year-old Hamilton’s “raw talent is being thwarted by mishap and cock-up,” said journalist Kevin Eason.

“McLaren are lovely people but how the hell do they get themselves in this position?” wrote the Mirror’s Byron Young on Twitter.

Even the non-English language media agreed.

“It was another great mistake by McLaren that could eventually cost Hamilton the championship,” wrote Livio Oricchio in O Estado de S.Paulo.

Italy’s La Stampa called McLaren’s fuel gaffe a case of “harakiri”.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport added: “It was error number 13 for McLaren since last year”.

While highly critical of McLaren’s own-goal, however, the feeling in the paddock is that the stewards’ penalty – although accepted by McLaren – was overly harsh.

“Back of the grid? Way, way too harsh”, said the Mirror’s Young on Twitter.

“Draconian penalty in my view,” agreed PA Sport’s Ian Parkes. “Dropping Q3 time would have sufficed.”

Sky commentator Martin Brundle added: “(I) feel they should have deleted that (Q3) laptime only which would have put him sixth”.

And excluding Hamilton from Q3 altogether would have put him 11th. Now, he will be “lucky to score a point”, Auto Motor und Sport predicted.

In the Independent, however, David Tremayne noted: “Welcome to the draconian world of F1.”

David Croft, the lead Sky commentator, said the FIA stewards had acted correctly.

“A good rule should be one that covers all eventualities with a penalty that acts as a deterrent which in this case is what happened.

“Too little fuel can’t be tolerated,” he added. “It seems harsh but had Lewis taken pole by one thousandth of a second, would it be harsh then?”

The Spanish fans – not Hamilton’s biggest supporters dating back to his spats with Fernando Alonso in 2007 – were happy.

Asked on the El Mundo website whether the penalty was fair, 76 per cent answered yes.

Anthony Davidson has reportedly ruled himself out of contention to replace injured Robert Kubica in 2011.

The 31-year-old Briton was a well-respected Honda test driver who raced full-time for Super Aguri in 2007 and 2008.

He has recently been working with Mercedes GP in the Brackley based team’s simulator, but his main job is with Peugeot’s Le Mans team, and he has re-committed for this year.

According to Mirror correspondent Byron Young on Twitter, Davidson said Kubica’s replacement this year has “big shoes to fill and must be a title contender”.

Young said Davidson had therefore ruled “himself out of (contention for the) Renault Lotus drive having signed Peugeot Le Mans deal”.

Meanwhile, Observer correspondent and BBC radio commentator Maurice Hamilton revealed on Tuesday that “well-informed rally mates tell me Renault have been talking to Kimi (Raikkonen)’s management team”.

“They ought to talk to Ant Davidson,” he added.

Mark Webber has played down suggestions his allocation of chassis for the British grand prix demonstrates he is not treated equally with his teammate.

After his Barcelona and Monaco-winning car was damaged in his spectacular Valencia crash, the Australian will drive ‘Luscious Liz’ at Silverstone — the chassis humorously named by Sebastian Vettel at the beginning of the season.

But after sub-standard performances in May, Vettel was given a new car in Turkey.

Red Bull has now repaired Luscious Liz.

“There was nothing wrong with it. It’s fine. It’s all we’ve got anyway,” Webber told reporters at the team’s Milton Keynes factory on Wednesday.

Also fully fit for this weekend’s race is the Australian himself, despite some minor injuries caused by his backflip crash with Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus.

“I had a bit of whiplash, and I bashed my right foot pretty hard on the top of the chassis,” he revealed.

“I knew straight away that I’d hit my big toe pretty hard (but) you could injure yourself more in your lounge room.”

Meanwhile, Webber made clear his opinion after Lotus technical boss blamed him for the Valencia crash.

When British reporter Byron Young, of the Mirror, virtually launched his car whilst driving the Red Bull simulator, Webber observed wryly: “You didn’t even have any shitboxes to avoid.”

F1′s governing body is not expected to take action against Fernando Alonso or Ferrari.

The Italian team’s response to the outcome of the Valencia race has been incandescent, including Fernando Alonso saying Lewis Hamilton’s meagre treatment by the stewards amounted to “manipulation”.

Ferrari vice-president Piero Ferrari said the mere drive-through penalty for McLaren driver Hamilton’s overtaking of the safety car made the European GP a “false race”.

And reports on the team’s official website have quoted fans as saying Hamilton is a liar and a cheat, McLaren “thieves”, and the FIA a “Federation of clowns”.

British newspaper The Mirror correspondent Byron Young wrote on Twitter that in “Max Mosley’s day”, sanctions would now be likely, adding: “Are the FIA going to act or will Jean Todt dodge the first big F1 test of his presidency?”

According to sources on Monday, the FIA is not considering action.

Ferrari’s rage against the outcome of the European grand prix went from bad to worse on Monday.

With Fernando Alonso having accused the stewards of manipulating the Valencia race, the Italian team echoed the apparent view of some fans that Lewis Hamilton’s drive-through penalty for overtaking the safety car was a “scandal”.

But in another website report on Monday, Ferrari stepped up its attack, repeating the view of one fan that had hit out at “McLaren thieves” who were “up to their usual dirty tricks”.

Another fan said: “The FIA at Valencia showed it’s not entirely in charge of the events that it’s organising”, and yet another added: “Is this the latest version of Jean Todt?  Those who order and manipulate are always the same.”

Ferrari quoted another fan as saying: “Federation of clowns!  What help is a five-second penalty?  Useless and the usual English mafia!”

And another: “Enough with the help for Hamilton.  How can he lie and cheat and still get away scot-free?”

Mirror correspondent Byron Young wrote on Twitter that in “Max Mosley’s day”, there would be “sanctions” for accusing the FIA of fixing races.

When the rage intensified on Monday, he added: “Are the FIA going to act or will Jean Todt dodge the first big F1 test of his presidency?”

(GMM)