Lewis Hamilton blasted for 'cheating' by former FIA steward

F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has been criticised by a former FIA steward for the rule breach that resulted in his demotion at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Late drama blighted Hamilton’s race weekend in Singapore, after he suffered a brake issue which forced him to drop back into the clutches of Fernando Alonso.

A furious Alonso took to team radio to blast his fellow champion for driving with brake issues, in a lengthy X-rated tirade.

Hamilton further drew the ire of his F1 rival when he left the track to nurse the brake issue, totalling four track limit violations during the closing stages of the race.

The FIA’s rules state that a driver can exceed track limits on three occasions before they are shown the black and white flag. A further breach of track limits after the flag results in a five-second time penalty, with Hamilton on the receiving end of this punishment in Singapore.

Hamilton demotion prompts ‘cheating’ claims

As a result of his penalty, Hamilton was demoted to eighth while Alonso was promoted to seventh, despite the Ferrari star’s protestations in the stewards' room that he left track limits because of the brake issue.

A man well versed in the FIA rule book, former F1 driver and steward Johnny Herbert, did not take kindly to Hamilton’s rule breaking however, and labelled it as ‘cheating’.

“It was the right thing to do to give Lewis that penalty because there was a bit of cutting of certain corners, so he didn't have to brake. He got his just deserts,” Herbert said to BettingLounge.

“The stewards made the right call. Fernando was definitely making sure the stewards were aware of his anger. But I think it was quite clear at the end of the day that liberties were being taken for Lewis to get to the end of the race.

“You can't take those liberties, you can't cheat to that degree. Very Fernando, getting on his high horse, shouting and screaming!

“We all expect that from Fernando, that competitiveness from that very first race when he came into Formula 1 all those years ago.”

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