Hamilton claims "ridiculous" penalty shows FIA is "trying to stop me"

Russian Grand Prix

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Hamilton claims "ridiculous" penalty shows FIA is "trying to stop me"

The world champion was handed two five-second penalties for performing practice starts outside the designated zone

Ewan Gale

Sunday 27 September 2020 16:01

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton believes the FIA's stewards are "trying to stop" him after a "ridiculous" penalty cost him the opportunity to draw level on wins with Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton stopped at the pit-exit merge point to the track on his pre-race reconnaissance laps to practice his starts, rather than in the pre-determined practice start zone near the speed-limiter line.

The reigning champion was handed two separate five-second penalties, having to wait for 10 seconds at his pit stop and dropping him out of race contention.

"I need to go back and see what the rules are, what exactly I did wrong," he told Sky Sports F1.

"I am pretty sure no-one has got two five-second penalties for something so ridiculous before. I didn't put anyone in danger, I have done this at a million tracks over the years and never been questioned. It is what it is.

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"Of course it is, it is to be expected. They are trying to stop, aren't they? But it's okay. I need to keep my head down and stay focused and see what happens."

In the drivers' press conference, Hamilton clarified his comments and explained such scrutiny is part and parcel of being a dominant team.

"I don't necessarily think it's for me," he said.

"Whenever a team is at the front they are under a lot of scrutiny. Everything we have on our car is being checked and triple-checked. They are changing rules, such as the engine regs, lots and lots of things to get in the way and keep the race exciting, I assume.

"I don't know if the rules, what happened today, are anything to do with it, naturally, that's how it feels - that we are fighting an uphill battle.

"But it's okay, it's not like I haven't faced adversity before, so we just keep our heads down, keep fighting, keep trying to do a better job, be cleaner, squeaky clean."

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