Mercedes must not give stewards "even a sniff" of penalties
Lewis Hamilton says he and Mercedes must “cover ourselves” to ensure the Formula 1 stewards do not have “even a sniff” to sanction them after his Russia penalties.
Hamilton was hit with two five-second time penalties during Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix for completing practice starts in the wrong place while on his reconnaissance laps to the grid ahead of the race.
It meant polesitter and early race leader Hamilton could only recover to finish the race third after dropping behind Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton called the penalty “ridiculous” and “bulls**t” in the immediate aftermath of the race, and was initially hit with two penalty points on his FIA super licence, which were later replaced with a fine.
Hamilton felt that both he and Mercedes had to go through the rulebook to avoid any further sanctions, having fallen foul of minor infringements at two of the last three races.
He also missed out on a possible victory at Monza following a pit entry penalty that meant he could only finish seventh.
“I guess we’ll go through the rule book and pick out areas where they can create rules, areas where penalties have never been given before,” Hamilton said.
“We’ll try and figure out all the ones that they have, and try to make sure that we cover ourselves in the ones that we are aware of.
“I don’t think anyone’s had the penalty for that before, so we’ll just work hard.
“We’ve gone through seasons before without penalties, so just have to make sure I give them no reason, not even a sniff, to be able to do something.”
Hamilton initially said after the race in Russia that he felt the stewards were “trying to stop me”, but took to Instagram earlier this week to explain his reaction.
“I may not always get it right in the face of adversity,” Hamilton wrote. “I may not always react the way you want me to when tensions are high, but I am only human after all and I am passionate about what I do.
“I’m learning and growing every day, and I’ll take my lessons and keep fighting on to the next one.
“Thank you to those who continue to support and are right there fighting with me. Still we rise!”
Victory for Bottas in Russia meant that Hamilton’s championship lead was cut to 44 points with seven rounds remaining in the 2020 season.
Related video
Bahrain not expecting outer loop to replace normal GP layout
Ferrari planning further SF1000 car updates at Nurburgring
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history.
Why the lack of "needle" between Red Bull and Ferrari is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…