Hamilton’s title bid stalls after penalty
MAX TAKES CONTROL AS CHAMP PUNISHED
LEWIS HAMILTON’S championship hopes were dealt a major setback after he was excluded from qualifying and demoted to the back of the grid for last night’s sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion put in a brave performance to finish fifth – but failed to bag any points.
Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas snatched top spot and three points, followed by points leader Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.
The winner of the 24-lap dash takes pole position for today’s Grand Prix, with the result determining the grid.
Prior to that, FIA stewards determined that Hamilton’s Mercedes fell foul of the technical regulations and his pole lap at Interlagos was chalked off.
And Hamilton is already facing a five-place grid penalty for today’s main event after Mercedes changed his engine for a fifth time.
Verstappen was also investigated after he touched Hamilton’s car in the aftermath of qualifying here.
But the Dutchman escaped with a
£42,000 fine and no further punishment.
Hamilton trails
Verstappen by 19 points with just four rounds left. The penalty comes as a seismic blow to Hamilton’s dream of winning a record-breaking eighth world title, with Verstappen now in the driving seat to extend his lead.
Just 78 points are available after today’s race.
The stewards delivered their verdict nearly 20 hours after launching their investigation when Hamilton’s rear wing failed a scrutineering test in Sao Paulo.
Mercedes sporting director Ron Meadows and trackside chief engineer Simon Cole, fought Hamilton’s corner with the stewards on
Friday and again yesterday.
But although the stewards were in agreement with Mercedes that “something had gone wrong” with Hamilton’s rear wing – “rather than an intentional act” – the penalty was applied because there were no “mitigating circumstances”.