When Lewis Hamilton was slapped with huge fine for reckless Melbourne incident

In the early years of his F1 career, Lewis Hamilton had a strange love/hate relationship with the Australian Grand Prix.

Sure he had sent Fernando Alonso a strong message of: 'Don't mess with me, guv" by dancing around the outside of Turn 1 at his first race, and went onto win the season-opener 12 months later. 

But in 2009, he was disqualified for lying to the stewards, in what has since been dubbed 'Lie-gate' after telling stewards he did not slow to let Jarno Trulli pass under a late safety car, despite radio traffic proving otherwise. 

A year later, Hamilton also found himself in hot water with Australian authorities after an incident on the Friday evening.

Leaving the circuit after the two practice sessions, Hamilton deliberately lost traction in his rented Mercedes hire car, attracting the attention of the local Melbourne coppers.

The vehicle was subsequently impounded by the Victorian state authorities as a sheepish Hamilton then went onto qualify a lowly 11th for the grand prix. 

The case would not be settled in court until August 2010 after being charged under Victoria's "hoon" laws. 

He did not appear in court, but was fined by a judge for the burnouts and skids, leaving him A$500 out of pocket.

At the time, this was around £288, but is now £243.

Hamilton would go onto finish sixth in the grand prix - after contact with Red Bull's Mark Webber as team-mate Jenson Button won the dry/wet classic.