GO GO .. NO!

Hamilton penalised for illegal practice starts

LEWIS HAMILTON’S quest for Michael Schumacher’s all-time win record was put on hold – but Valtteri Bottas will have few complaints.

The spotlight was firmly on Mercedes’ British superstar as he mounted his quest to secure a record-equalling 91st career victory in Russia.

But his hopes were all but ended be f o re the showdown in Sochi hi even got underway, after performing two illegal practice starts in an embarrassing gaffe by the Silver Arrows. And Bottas as ( right) took advantage of Hamilton’s two five- second penalties to cross the line first, 7.7 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

It marked only the second victory of the season for Mercedes’ Finn and his first since he triumphed in Austria.

Bottas said: “To my critics and to whom it might concern, f**k you.” Explaining his radio outburst, he said: “I don’t get people that have the need to criticise, and there have been people telling me I should not bother, I should give up.

“But I will never do that. So I wanted to send my best wishes to them.” Hamilton had romped to pole position but a mistake by Mercedes led to his downfall. The Brit radioed in with the Mercedes pit wall to see if he could perform a practice start in the pit-lane exit.

Race engineer Pete Bonnington said he could, but the decision came back to bite the team with the tactic not permitted in the rules. The race got underway with a dec decision yet to be taken, and Hamilton held Bottas at the getaway and again at the restart, after the safety car was deployed.

But the championship leader was eventually told he would have to surrender his lead, to which he replied: “That is bull*** t. Where is that in the rulebook?”

However, stewards, who i ssued the sanctions, said:

“Ar t 36 .1 requires drivers to use constant throttle and constant speed in the pit exit other than in t he pla c e designated for practice starts.”