NAfter the dramatic loss of Lewis Hamilton’s drivers’ championship in the last Formula 1 race of the season, his Mercedes racing team protested against two alleged violations of the sporting regulations. The first was rejected by the race stewards at 7:18 p.m. CET. This protest was about the fact that no driver is allowed to overtake another car as long as the safety car is leading the field.
Before the restart, however, Hamilton’s World Cup rival Max Verstappen had accelerated and temporarily sat next to the preceding Hamilton. “Although Verstappen moved slightly in front of Hamilton for a very short period of time when both accelerated and braked, he moved backwards again and not forwards when the safety car phase ended,” the stewards explained their judgment.
Mercedes also protested against the fact that before the end of the safety car phase, which was decisive for the outcome of the race, five lapped racing cars between Hamilton and Verstappen were allowed to overtake the safety car, but the lapped cars behind the Dutchman were not. But this protest was also rejected. But Mercedes can appeal. Record world champion Hamilton was overtaken by Verstappen on the last lap after the safety car phase. The Red Bull star was the first to cross the finish line and was cheered as the new world champion.
The process could mean that there is initially only one world champion with reservations. Depending on the progress of the proceedings, the decision can only be made before the International Court of Arbitration of the World Automobile Federation FIA in Paris. “Competitors are informed that they have the right to appeal against certain decisions made by the Stewards (…) within the applicable time limits,” declared the FIA.
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