SEPANG, Malaysia, March 22, 2008 (AFP) - McLaren-Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were both demoted five places on the starting grid for Sunday´s Malaysian Grand Prix for obstructing other drivers during Saturday´s qualifying.

The two had qualified on the second row with the Finn third fastest and the Briton fourth.

Following the penalties, Kovalainen will start from the fourth row of the grid with Hamilton in the fifth row seriously compromising their chances of winning the race.

The sanctions followed protests from Renault driver Fernando Alonso and BMW Sauber´s Nick Heidfeld that the two McLarens obstructed them as they attempted to drive out of the pits near the end of the final qualifying session.

The International Automobile Federation ruled that Kovalainen had obstructed Alonso and that Hamilton had obstructed Heidfeld.

Toyota´s Jarno Trulli and BMW Sauber´s Robert Kubica will now start from the second row of the grid behind the two Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.