F1 stewards adjourn Hamilton DRS rule break hearing at Brazilian GP
The Formula 1 race stewards in Brazil have adjourned the hearing over the technical breach by Mercedes on Lewis Hamilton’s car until the morning, awaiting further evidence.
Hamilton topped qualifying at Interlagos on Friday afternoon, beating title rival Max Verstappen by four-tenths of a second at the end of Q3.
But FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer found in his post-session checks that the DRS (drag reduction system) on Hamilton’s Mercedes W12 car was not in compliance with the rules.
The gap between the two rear wing planes when DRS is open must not exceed 85mm per the FIA’s technical regulations, but the DRS on Hamilton’s Mercedes was found to go beyond this limit.
This put Hamilton at risk of being excluded from qualifying, with Mercedes being summoned for a hearing beginning at 7:15pm.
A lengthy wait followed before confirmation arrived just before 10pm in Sao Paulo that there would be no decision on Friday night.
An FIA spokesperson confirmed the hearing had been adjourned by the stewards “as they await further evidence that will not be available until the morning”.
This was followed by a bulletin from the stewards asking Bauer “to supervise the removal of the rear wing assembly of Car 44, and to impound this part under seal.”
It added: “Further, the Technical Delegate is to supervise the transition of Car 44 into overnight conditions, permitting only those actions needed to store the car."
Pole man Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, is interviewed in Parc Ferme
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
A video emerged on social media showing the DRS test being conducted on Hamilton’s rear wing as officials check to see if the flap opens beyond the permitted 85mm margin.
A fan video from the grandstands also appeared to show Hamilton’s title rival, Max Verstappen, looking and briefly touching Hamilton’s rear wing after parking his car up at the end of qualifying.
The FIA confirmed during the wait that scrutineering had been completed on the rest of the field and found no other rule breaches, amid intrigue from fans about Verstappen’s rear wing during qualifying.
Should the stewards opt to exclude Hamilton’s car from qualifying, he would start Saturday’s sprint race from the rear of the field.
Share Or Save This Story
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Lewis Hamilton "entirely justified" in tense Dutch GP radio exchange, says Alex Brundle
What Ferrari actually meant to do when Lewis Hamilton felt like a "guinea pig"
Why Charles Leclerc’s battle of the brakes has left him trailing Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes "hasn't got the money" to keep up with rival F1 upgrades
Lando Norris disagrees with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell on F1's pecking order
Why Lando Norris was “surprised” to claim Dutch GP pole position
Winners and losers from a wet/dry NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire
F1 Academy announces rookie test expansion with Loughborough University training camp
"Call me, please!" – Yuki Tsunoda makes cheeky F1 return pitch after impressive Dutch GP
Dissecting the controversial Max Reaves ARCA win at Springfield dirt track
Lando Norris made his own life difficult again - but his recovery was stunning in Zandvoort's swansong
Why Lando Norris was “surprised” to claim Dutch GP pole position
What we learned from the 2026 F1 Dutch GP sprint race and qualifying
Why Williams problems are worse than previously known
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments