Motor racing-Fisichella punished for impeding Coulthard

MONACO, May 27 (Reuters) Monaco Grand Prix stewards stripped Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella of his three fastest laps in qualifying after ruling he had impeded Red Bull's David Coulthard.

Fisichella had qualified fifth and it was not immediately clear where the demotion would leave him on the grid.

Coulthard, a two times Monaco winner with McLaren, was ninth before the hearing.

The governing FIA said in a statement, after hearing both drivers, that the Italian had been found to have held up the Briton even if it may not have been deliberate.

They ordered that his best three laps be deleted.

''He (Coulthard) looked as if he should have been able to qualify in the top five or six,'' Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told Reuters.

''Unfortunately he got blocked by Fisichella on his fast lap and that cost him a great deal of time.'' The Scot had ended the second knockout session, when cars are still running on low fuel, as the fourth fastest.

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, who took pole position, was also summoned by stewards after he stalled on the penultimate corner in the dying seconds of the final qualifying. The obstruction prevented rivals from bettering his time.

REUTERS CH KP2313