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What appeared to be Lewis Hamilton’s 91st Formula 1 victory at the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday ended up becoming a controversy involving the driver, who was punished for doing two initial pre-race practices in forbidden places, and the curators. of the exam. The Brit was spared no words to criticize the decision and was beaten by Mika Salo, ex-F1 and one of the race stewards.
+ Bottas wins in Russia; Hamilton, punished, is third
+ “They’re trying to stop me,” says Hamilton after penalties
Former Finnish driver Mika Salo was one of the race stewards this Sunday – Photo: AOP
– Shit. This (the Hamilton accusations) is not true at all. The rules are the same for everybody. It was very clear: Hamilton trained his starts on that side of the track. The last one was near the white line that marks the end of the pit exit, defended the Finn Mika Salo, who competed for F1 between 1994 and 2002.
The Mercedes driver took the penalty during the race, staying ten seconds in the pits and allowing Bottas and Max Verstappen of RBR to take the first positions. The six-time champion still managed to secure last place on the podium after doing a make-up race, finishing third.
+ Hamilton super license points replaced by fine
Punished, Lewis Hamilton was only third in the Russian GP – Photo: Dmitry Feoktistov TASS via Getty Images
Although the scenario indicates that Hamilton’s chances of another victory may have been hampered by the penalty, his colleague, Valtteri Bottas, disagrees. The Finn, who now has two victories in Russia, defended the punishment received by his partner and said he believed he could win even without the controversy surrounding the current championship leader:
– We always have a meeting on exactly where to start training. The team shows us the place, and that’s where I did my training. I think it’s pretty straightforward. And when Lewis stopped and I was in the lead, I was able to open a good lead, so I don’t think (the penalty) would have changed the result much. Maybe it had been second.
The director of racing for the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Michael Masi, admitted that the points in the Hamilton superlicense were replaced by a fine of 25,000 euros (about 160,000 reais) for Mercedes after the stewards considered the punishment. the former was “inappropriate”. However, he defended the integrity of the body responsible for running the races, noting that Hamilton knew the rules.
– Lewis followed the instructions of his team. Yes, he was the one driving the car, but a contributing factor was that his team recommended that he do what he did. When someone breaks the rules, it doesn’t matter if it was Lewis Hamilton or any of the 19 drivers, the stewards will judge fairly and fairly, taking into account all aspects. The starting place for training is detailed at all events, in which Lewis, with the other riders, agreed to the requirements, the Australian declared.
+ Analysis: the punishments of Hamilton’s discord in Russia
+ Updated league standings
FIA Race Director Michael Masi explained the penalties to Hamilton – Photo: Clive Mason / Getty Images
Masi also explained the circumstances that led to Hamilton being punished not just once, with a five-second increase in his test time, but twice, totaling ten seconds:
– There was no second punishment. Two elements of the rules were broken. One was in relation to the notes of the management of the event, and the other, to the article of the sports regulations that says that a constant speed must be maintained when exiting the pits. The reason we determine where the start should be trained is for the safety of the cyclists.
Despite the punishment, Hamilton remains at the top of the championship with a comfortable lead over vice-leader Bottas; While the six-time champion has 205 points, the Finn is 44 points behind, with 161 points.
