Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Was it that for Hamilton’s Formula 1 World Cup dreams? An irregular tail costs him the pole
The tail of the impetus: Hamilton’s Mercedes during training in Sao Paulo.
© Carl de Souza / AFP
Lewis Hamilton experiences a debacle in Brazil. First the Mercedes driver receives an engine penalty, then he is also disqualified. The World Cup slips away from him. Front runner Max Verstappen can live with his sentence.
A three-page document dealt Lewis Hamilton the next World Cup blow on a disastrous weekend in Brazil. An irregular rear wing on his Mercedes negotiated the disqualification from the start chase for the Englishman. The race stewards recognized a technical violation in their verdict and, after his pole position on the previous day, put the 36-year-old back at the back for the sprint race in the evening (8.30 p.m. / Sky).
World Championship leader Max Verstappen benefited from this punishment and was allowed to start from first place in the new format over 24 laps at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The Dutchman himself had to fear in Interlagos.
Touched the rival’s stern with his finger
Verstappen received a fine of 50,000 euros for violating the provisions of the so-called Parc Fermé. The race stewards saw it as proven that he had illegally touched the rear of his Red Bull and especially that of his rival Hamilton during the technical inspection on Friday.
“It is clear to the stewards that it has become a habit of the drivers to touch the cars after qualifying and the races,” wrote the stewards. “This general tendency was seen as largely harmless and was therefore not sanctioned uniformly. Nevertheless, it is a violation of the Parc Fermé regulation and has a considerable potential for harm.” Verstappen touched the rear of Hamilton’s car with “insignificant force”.
Mercedes later declared itself that the inspection of the championship leader had unlikely to lead to the defect at the rear. Nevertheless, the penalty for Hamilton with the disqualification was brutal.
A new engine had already been used illegally on his company car on Friday. This means that the 36-year-old has to drop five places in the fourth last race of the season on Sunday (6 p.m.).
Hamilton more than four tenths ahead
With the new drive, Hamilton had left his rival Verstappen behind by more than four-tenths in the chase for the starting position. The stewards of the world motor sport federation Fia accused the Briton that the rear wing on his Silver Arrow was bent too much. Measurements confirmed the suspicion. The so-called Drag Reduction System (DRS), which increases the speed on the straights, gave Hamilton an illegal advantage.
The stewards at least accepted the Mercedes declaration that something “went wrong” when the acceptance test was not passed and that there was no intention of doing so. But that doesn’t help Hamilton either. In the World Cup he is already 19 points behind Verstappen. The winner of the sprint can get three points.
After the start chase on Friday, Verstappen could be seen touching the rear wing of his car and then the wing on Hamilton’s Mercedes. The stewards also evaluated a fan video for this. Verstappen and a Red Bull representative were heard – they can get over the fine.
