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Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12 runs wide from Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB16B at the restart of the race
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Analysis

When driver aids have the opposite effect

They're the tools that a driver can rely on to get them out of a fix, but driver aids don't always make their lives easier. As Lewis Hamilton's accidental application of the Mercedes 'magic button' in Baku demonstrates, there can be a downside to driver aids

Max Verstappen’s hattrick of victories in Formula 1 has gone some way to making up for the disappointment of his Baku tyre failure and leaves Mercedes needing a result at Silverstone to turn the tide.

But the points situation could look very different without Lewis Hamilton’s error at the Baku restart, when he accidentally activated the ‘magic’ button on his steering wheel and went straight on at the first corner. The likely 25 points he would have scored for victory would mean he was only seven points behind Verstappen, rather than 32.

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