Hamilton comments prompt FIA investigation

Lewis Hamilton prompted an FIA conversation when comments he made during a press conference at the Belgian Grand Prix suggested Mercedes may have flouted regulations during Formula 1's summer shutdown.

Teams are prohibited from working during a two-week period in the break to save money and give mechanics mandated time off.

However, Hamilton had said that he had been in contact with the team while away from the track.

He told reporters: "We had a bit of dialogue with the team, which we generally don't usually have during the break; just trying to see what else we can do to improve, whether it's communication, whether that means arriving one minute earlier to a meeting, or whatever it may be. We are just looking at all areas."

However, Mercedes explained in a statement that Hamilton's comments referred to conversations held before teams were forced to cease working for the summer after the Hungarian GP.

"Lewis was referring to contact with the team during the week after Hungary, when he had begun his summer break but the team was still working until the following Friday, when our (official) shutdown period began for the mandatory two weeks."

The world champion and teammate Valtteri Bottas were considerably off the pace of Ferrari in Friday's practice sessions, with the Scuderia well-fancied to break their season-long wait for a first victory in Belgium.

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