McLaren fate to be known Wednesday?

McLaren are facing the possibility of being excluded from the World Championship after they were summoned to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council. The Woking outfit are facing five charges of bringing the sport into disrepute after World Champion Lewis Hamilton was found guilty of "deliberately misleading" stewards after the Australian Grand Prix.

The last time McLaren appeared before the WMSC, they were handed a record £49.2million fine following the 'spy-gate' scandal involving Ferrari in 2007. If the team are found guilty at the latest hearing on April 24 in Paris, they face a number of punishments.

Besides another heavy fine, Hamilton and McLaren could be suspended from the Drivers' and/or the Constructors' Championship. Alternatively they could be exclusion from both Championships or suspended from a number of grands prix.

With the team already struggling for pace in the opening two races of the season, suspension from a few races could all but end Hamilton's hopes of retaining his title this year. Planet F1