Formula One sensation Lewis Hamilton had his driving licence suspended for a month after being caught speeding on a French motorway, police said on Tuesday.

Hamilton was at the wheel of a Mercedes when he was clocked at 196 km/h near the northern town of Laon on Sunday.

Police stopped him, detained the car and fined him 600 euros (429 pounds).

"He was very polite and cooperative," said a police spokesman, who added Hamilton had since had the car collected for him.

The McLaren driver, 22, finished runner-up in his rookie season to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in the 2007 world championship.