Hamilton gets punished and falls to the end of the sprint grid in SP

long friday Formula 1 It ended only on Saturday afternoon (13), with the disclosure of disqualification Lewis Hamilton From the São Paulo GP qualifying session. All because of the huge controversy that erupted after spending some time defining the grid for the sprint race Interlagos. Hours ago, a seven-time champion He won the right to start before the so-called qualifying race by clocking 1 minute 7 seconds 934 minutes faster than Max Verstappen 0 seconds 438. but the The FIA ​​Technical Delegate, Joe Bauer, reported irregularities in the movable wing of the mercedes from the British.

And to make the degree of controversy worse, the video was recorded by Frederico Monteiro, one of the followers of grand prize, show up Max Verstappen Touch the rear wing of the W12 from mercedes, which is irregular because it occurs in the closed park system, where only certain FIA professionals are allowed to handle the vehicles.

The uncertainty ran through the night and continued throughout Saturday morning, until the verdict was finally made: Hamilton was disqualified and will start last afternoon, at 4pm (GMT-3), in the sprint sprint. F1 in Interlagos. Verstappen, who was also summoned to the Stewards Tower to give an explanation, ran away with a fine of just R$312,000..

According to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, there was a protest by Adrian Newey, aerodynamics engineer at Red Bull, about an hour before sorting. After the session, Frederico Monteiro, straight from the stands at the straight-pit Interlagos, photographed Verstappen meticulously inspecting the rear wing of the mercedes W12. Minutes later, during a technical inspection, the FIA ​​noticed an infraction, unrelated to the Red Bull protest, and only put Hamilton’s car under investigation.

In the document that confirmed the investigation, Joe Bauer said Hamilton’s car was above maximum wing opening, a scenario that reduces aerodynamic drag and therefore increases final straight speed when the DRS is activated.

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The position of the adjustable elements in the upper rear spoiler on car No. 44 was checked to see if it complies with Article 3.6.3 of the Technical Rules for Formula 1 2021. Minimum distance requirement [entre as partes da asa] They are met, but the requirements are a maximum of 85 mm [de separação] When the movable wing system was used and tested in accordance with TD / 011-19, this was not achieved. Bauer said I am referring the case to the commissioners for consideration.

In the end, because this is a technical issue rather than a sporting one, Hamilton was left out because there is no compromise on such a foul, just as there is no compromise on what penalty should be signed.

the decision

In a statement issued this afternoon, the FIA ​​reported that “the technical delegate deplores that vehicle #44 [de Hamilton] Failed to pass the tests required in accordance with the last paragraph of Article 3.6.3 of the Technical Regulations of Formula 1 The check is described in Technical Directive 011-19. In plain terms, there is a space between the top and bottom of the rear wing. When the DRS is not activated, this gap should be between 10 and 15 mm. The car passed this part of the test.”

“When the DRS is activated, raising the upper part of the wing to a more right angle, the distance between the two parts should be between 10 and 85 mm. The largest gap is measured according to DT 011-19: thrust an 85 mm gauge into the gap with a maximum load of 10 N. If the gauge passes, then the car has failed the test. In this case, the gauge does not pass from the inside, but passes from the outside of the wing. This test is repeated four times with two different gauges and is performed once in the presence of the hosts and the rider’s representatives.

The hosts held a post-classification hearing with Ron Meadows and Simon Cole, the competitor’s representative, FIA technical delegate Joe Bauer, and Nicholas Tombazis, individual bench technical director. The commissioners postponed the hearing to collect more evidence until 10:30 a.m. (ET ) on Saturday and they held a new hearing that was also attended by John Owen, the competitor’s chief designer, who testified via video, but this time without Joe Bauer,” she said.

The authority explained and detailed the hardness in the tests. Four of them were made, with two different calibrations, to demonstrate irregularity. The FIA ​​explained that there was a malfunction in the movable wing mechanism and reported that Verstappen’s act of touching and moving the piece did not alter or damage it.

After Hamilton’s penalty was confirmed, the sprint grid in Sao Paulo was completely modified. Verstappen, who will start in second place, will now open the front row and bring in Valtteri Bottas, from mercedes, by your side. Sergio Perez, also from Red Bull, will start in third, along with Pierre Gasly, from AlphaTauri, While Carlos Sainz Part V.

For Hamilton, this is another difficult setback, just as he managed to put on a great performance on Friday in Freestyle 1 and qualify in Interlagos. Another penalty for the Briton, who lost five places in the grid, valid for the weekend’s main race, was also confirmed on Sunday.

In other words, even if he does a big race to recover on Saturday, Hamilton will start five places behind the one he got on Sunday. And Verstappen again appears as a clear favorite in InterlagosThis is mainly because there is an expectation of an improvement in the ambient temperature after the cold that was recorded on Friday and should also be repeated on Saturday. Red Bull has a car that adapts better to temperatures higher than mercedes.

With a 19-point lead over Hamilton in the championship, Verstappen is likely to take another giant step towards his first world title this weekend which marks the team’s comeback. Formula 1 To brazil.

NS grand prize São Paulo GP follows “in loco” in Interlagos With journalists Fernando Silva and Gabriel Corretti, as well as the entire team remotely. NS GP Also follows all weekend track activities He lives NS in a At present. This Saturday, the sprint race is scheduled for soon, at 4:30 p.m. (GMT-3).

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Check out the updated starting grid for the sprint race in São Paulo GB Formula 1:

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