THEY TRIED EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO STOP ME
RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX Lewis fumes as ‘bull **** ’ penalty stops him matching Schuey record
LeWiS HAmilTOn came here to etch himself in the record books but left cursing the rulebook — and pointing the finger at the Formula One establishment for picking on him.
it was meant to be the afternoon that he matched michael Schumacher’s 91 victories, but that hope was dashed even before he lined up in pole position for the russian Grand Prix.
The six-time world champion had staged two practice starts in an ‘undesignated’ area: too far along the pit-lane exit. And, with the race only a few laps old, the stewards imposed a five-second penalty on him for each infringement and a fine of £23,000 on mercedes.
Those combined ten seconds cost Hamilton the historic win and gifted top step to his team-mate Valtteri Bottas. red Bull’s max Verstappen was second and Hamilton third, his hackles up.
‘Bull **** ,’ he said of the sanction. Still seething afterwards, he continued: ‘i’m pretty sure nobody has ever got two five-second penalties for something so ridiculous before. i didn’t put anyone in danger.
‘i’ve done this at a million tracks over the years and never been questioned over it.’
Asked if the punishment was too harsh, he replied: ‘Of course it is, and it is to be expected. They are trying to stop me.
‘(The rules say) you have to be on the right after the lights but it doesn’t say how far. i don’t like the area where everybody has done their practice starts because it is not representative of what it is like on the grid. i try to get on a surface that doesn’t have any rubber laid down.
‘i asked the team and as far as we were aware it was okay. So, yep, interesting decision. Whenever a team is at the front you are under scrutiny. everything on our car is checked, double-checked, triple-checked. They are changing rules, such as the engine regs (recently limiting mercedes’ boost mode in qualifying).
‘There are lots of things they are putting in the way to keep the racing exciting. That is how it feels, like we are fighting uphill. But it is okay. We have to put our heads down, try to do a better job and keep it squeaky clean.’
So what is our analysis of the incident?
Well, earlier Hamilton had enquired rhetorically over the radio: ‘Where’s that in the rulebook?’
Since he asked... it’s in Article 36.1 of the FiA Formula One Sporting regulations and event notes (v3) item 19.1, breaching Sporting code Article 12.1.1 (i).
Arcane? Yes. A little strong? Hmm, only possibly. But there, in small print, lies the legal case.
in truth, mercedes must know this. Otherwise they would have taken up their right, as stipulated in the judgments, to lodge an appeal.
Team principal Toto Wolff, despite describing the penalty as far-fetched, confirmed they would not take up the invitation.
And, revisiting the initial exchange between Hamilton and race engineer Peter Bonnington, it is clear even lewis had doubts about the legality of his action at the time. Hamilton: ‘It’s all rubber here (where the starts were meant to be done). Can I go further out or not?’
Bonnington: ‘Affirm.’ Hamilton: ‘To the end of the pit wall?’
Bonnington: ‘Copy. Leave enough room for cars to pass.’
So, when it is boiled down, it was a team error. The rules were broken. end of story.
After news of the punishment was delivered, mercedes brought Hamilton in after 16 of 53 laps for new tyres and he served his time there and then.
‘This is just ridiculous, man,’ he said as he sat it out, shaking his head, the grip of paranoia strangling his emotions.
He emerged in 11th place, more than half a minute back from Bottas, his prospects of victory well and truly dashed.
Hamilton was originally handed one penalty point for each of his indiscretions, taking him to ten in the calendar year and two away from a race ban. But, as dusk fell here, the stewards wiped the points off his licence and instead fined the team, who had spent the early evening sharing radio evidence that proved their star man had just followed instructions.
Prior to the kerfuffle, Hamilton
had driven well. Passed briefly by Bottas using the drag into the second corner of the race, he then reclaimed the lead on the outside of the next bend.
A safety car came out after McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll crashed on the opening lap.
Hamilton managed the restart well, maintaining the lead that in the end counted for little. But he still heads Bottas by 44 points after ten of the 17 races.
The Finn has endured a relatively poor season, despite this being his second win. Addressing his supposed critics, Bottas said: ‘To whom it may concern, f*** you.’
Which was a little unnecessary, not least given how his chance —
Hamilton — presented itself.