Eight hours after the end of today's qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix, race stewards have decided that Michael Schumacher deliberately stopped his car on track in the closing moments of the session, thereby preventing rival drivers from beating his time.

A statement issued by the stewards read:

"The stewards can find no justifiable reason for the driver to have braked with such undue, excessive and unusual pressure at this part of the circuit and are therefore left with no alternative but to conclude that the driver deliberately stopped his car on the circuit.

"This is a breach of 2006 Formula One sporting regulations article 116 and hence a driving infringement," it continued.

"The stewards accordingly direct that the qualifying times of Michael Schumacher, the driver of car number five, be deleted.

"The effect of this is that the driver will start the race from the back of the grid."

To check out our Monaco qualifying gallery, click here