The debate about the correct implementation of racing penalties has gone on for quite some time now in Formula 1 and the recent five-second penalty that was given to Lando Norris during the US Grand Prix has only made the discussion about the stewarding inconsistencies worse. Now, Lewis Hamilton has also called out the stewards for how inconsistent they have been, not only this season but for many years.
The seven-time champion was asked ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend if he thought the rules should be amended to make them more sensible. He was quick to highlight how people are talking so much about it now, but when the same thing happened to him at the 2021 Brazillian GP, the stewards didn’t even investigate it.
“It’s interesting people are talking about it now because it’s the same thing that happened to me in 2021. If you take Brazil into account for example, under braking you’re ahead but then the car just comes off the brakes and doesn’t make the corner and you have to go wide,” said Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton calls out inconsistent stewarding and penalties:“It’s interesting people talking about it now because the same thing happened to me in 2021.”
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He added, “You shouldn’t be able to come off the brakes and run more speed and go off track and still hold your place”. Hamilton, who had been disqualified from qualifying in Brazil 2021 and took a five-place penalty for a new ICE, started the race on Sunday in 10th and made it all the way to the back of Verstappen, who defended his lead fiercely.
While defending a charging Hamilton with DRS, Verstappen ran both the drivers wide off the track and rejoined ahead of him, which led to Mercedes asking questions to the stewards if that was fair, and no investigation was initiated. However, the Briton found his way past Verstappen the third time of asking and went on to win the race.
McLaren is fighting to overturn the penalty
While Norris did lose his provisional podium position after being dropped to P4 because of the five-second penalty, McLaren is not letting this one go that easily as they have launched a petition for Right of Review to overturn the steward’s decision.
However, a recent statement from the FIA has confirmed that they will hold this review in two rounds and will only proceed further if McLaren can produce some information that might not have been available to them during the race.
️ McLaren’s statement on its right of review regarding Lando Norris’s US GP penalty: pic.twitter.com/lmiyZVjr43
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With just five races remaining in the season, every single point that Norris loses to Verstappen could decide which way the drivers’ championship goes. So, if McLaren does manage to get the penalty overturned, Norris would reduce Verstappen’s lead in the championship to 51 points. However, it seems unlikely that the penalty will be overturned.
