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 the 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 local time.
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 W12, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12, and Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, arrive in Parc Ferme after Qualifying
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
A video emerged on social media showing the DRS test being conducted on Hamilton’s rear wing as officials checked 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 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.
Hamilton is already taking a five-place grid penalty into Sunday’s grand prix for an earlier Mercedes engine change.
Related video
F1 Brazilian GP sprint race: What time is it, how to watch it & more
Verstappen to face F1 stewards over Brazilian GP qualifying parc ferme incident
Horner hints at closer links between Mercedes and Williams F1 teams
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has hinted that there could be a closer relationship between the Mercedes and Williams Formula 1 teams in the wake of James Vowles’s move.
Ford remains committed to WRC amid F1 return
Ford has stated that it remains committed to its programme in the World Rally Championship following confirmation of its return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2026.
Dixon: Ganassi found two "big things" to improve IndyCar form
Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon says Chip Ganassi Racing has focused on improving its road course form after inconsistencies last season, and believes there has been breakthroughs for 2023.
Armstrong feels “confident” adapting to “very natural” IndyCar
Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Marcus Armstrong says he already feels confident in an IndyCar, after just two days of testing ahead of the 2023 season.
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Subscribe and access Autosport.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.