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Lewis Hamilton believes that he and his Mercedes team are being unfairly attacked due to their success in Formula One. The world champion took two penalties at the Russian Grand Prix, where he finished third behind teammate Valtteri Bottas, who won, and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. Hamilton stated during and after the race that the penalties were an attempt to stop him.
Hamilton has won five of the last six world championships and Mercedes has been dominant in the sport since 2014, winning every driver’s and constructor’s title since then. In Sochi, Hamilton received two five-second penalties when he started practice on his way to the grid but outside the designated area.
Both the team and the pilot argued that they did not violate the regulations. “I’m pretty sure no one has received two five-second penalties for something so ridiculous before,” Hamilton said. When asked if he thought the punishment was excessive, he said: “Of course it is. But it is to be expected. They’re trying to stop me, aren’t they?
The FIA also recently changed the rules on the use of engine modes in qualifying. It was perceived as an attempt to cut Mercedes’ lead on the one lap and Hamilton believed it was part of a concerted effort to erode the dominance they enjoy.
“Whenever a team is up front, it is under a lot of scrutiny. Everything we have in our car is being checked three times, they are changing the rules, like the engine regulations and a lot of things to try to keep the race exciting I guess. I don’t know if the rules in terms of what happened today have anything to do with it, but naturally that’s how it feels. It feels like you’re struggling uphill, but it’s okay. It’s not like I haven’t faced adversity before. “
The British driver also initially received two penalty points from the stewards. Had he won two more in the next four races, he would have received a one-race suspension. But the points were later rescinded and replaced by a € 25,000 fine for Mercedes, claiming that it was the team that had ordered it not to make its practice runs in the required area.
Nevertheless, Hamilton seemed convinced that his actions were more likely to be penalized. “We will go through the rule book and select areas where they can create rules, areas where sanctions have never been given before,” he said. “We will try to find out all they have and try to make sure we cover. I just have to make sure I don’t give any reason, not even a sniff, to be able to do something. “
