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Lewis Hamilton has been fined £287 by a Melbourne court for performing a tyre burnout in his Mercedes road car at this year’s Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton was charged under ‘anti-hoon’ laws after being stopped by police on the evening of Friday 26 March when he was driving back

from the Albert Park track.

At a meeting of the Melbourne Magistrates Court today (Tuesday), Hamilton pleaded guilty to “improper use of a motor vehicle” and was fined the maximum amount of $500 (£287).

The 25-year-old Briton did not attend the hearing but sent a letter apologising for a “momentary lapse of judgement”, acknowledging his duty as a public role model to behave responsibly and citing examples of his work assisting road safety campaigns.

“I made a mistake in Melbourne, which I sincerely regret,” the letter stated.

“I recognise that I should not have driven in the manner I did.

“I fully understand, appreciate and support the fact that enforcement of road traffic rules is a vital aspect of road safety.”

Hamilton added: “I want to continue with my work in promoting road safety and sincerely hope that the events on the night of 26 March 2010 will not damage the message which I have been giving – and will continue to give – in relation to the importance of road safety.

“I would ask that the Court gives due consideration to the nature of the offence and the fact that I was in control of the car at all times.”

Despite Hamilton’s fine and expression of contrition, Victorian state premier John Brumby called on the McLaren driver to make a public statement explicitly acknowledging that he set a bad example and reinforcing the road safety message.

Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper quotes Brumby as saying: “He is allowed to drive fast on the race tracks but he is not allowed to drive fast on our suburban streets.

“He set a bad example and he has been punished for that.

“I hope that he will make a statement about this, saying he set a bad example, that he shouldn't have been doing that and that he doesn't encourage anybody in our community to speed or hoon drive.