Lewis Hamilton raised the matter of Sebastian Vettel’s failure to reattach his steering wheel in Malaysia with race director Charlie Whiting.
Drivers are required to reattach their steering wheel after leaving their cars. However Vettel did not do this following his collision with Lance Stroll at the end of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Article 22.5 of the sporting regulations states: “A driver who abandons a car must leave it in neutral or with the clutch disengaged, with the ERS shut down and with the steering wheel in place.” Vettel was not investigated by the stewards because Whiting did not report the matter to them.
“Seb actually took the steering wheel with him,” Whiting told Hamilton and the assembled drivers, including Vettel.
“I think it was a reasonable, common sense approach for us to take not to do anything about the face he didn’t leave it on the car,” Whiting explained.
“The race had finished and the car clearly didn’t need a steering wheel for the marshals to manoeuvre it, which is the sole reason for asking you to leave the steering wheel with it. For me, under the circumstances, it was not worth reporting to the stewards.”
The last time someone was penalised for failing to replace the steering wheel on a car was three years ago. The driver, Pastor Maldonado, was given a reprimand.
2017 Malaysian Grand Prix
- 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix Predictions Championship results
- 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix team radio transcript
- 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix Star Performers
- “What a bunch of idiots”: 2017 Malaysian GP team radio highlights
- Mercedes go three years without a win in Malaysia
ispookie666
8th October 2017, 15:53
By hook or crook – how desperate is he. He’s a brilliant driver but don’t remember any other driver trying to deliberately screw others over. Karma is a b**** – it will come back. See Alonso, vettel etc..
Jabosha (@jabosha)
9th October 2017, 4:22
So you don’t recall or never heard of Senna screwing Prost over at first corner, Suzuka 1990?
Martijn (@)
9th October 2017, 9:12
Yeah, that was a totally comparible situation
magon4 (@magon4)
9th October 2017, 10:41
hahahahahahahaha @mayrton
Deano
9th October 2017, 11:11
Wow, what a statement, have you been holding on to that for 27 years mate? Not comparable in the slightest
Jabosha (@jabosha)
11th October 2017, 19:08
It illustrates just how wrong his statement is about screwing over other drivers. Some will go to extreme lengths to screw another driver over. There are tons of other examples that prove his statement incorrect. I’m sorry some of you missed this.
Damon (@damon)
9th October 2017, 9:45
WHAT? Calm down man. Lewis just raised a question about the rules THEY BOTH have to abide to.
If Vettel deserved (and so received) a penalty it would’ve been because of his own wrong-doing, not anything Lewis had done.
If Hamilton doesn’t stick his steering wheel back next time he retires, he will be subject to the same rules.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
9th October 2017, 9:59
Drivers using every bit they can find to take advantage of are legion.
Lee1
9th October 2017, 11:38
Do you do not remember vettel complaining so much about verstappen that a new rule was introduced? You don’t then remember vettel the ranting at Charlie whiting over the radio to punish max at Mexico? Only hilariously ending up as the first person to be punished under the new rule that was introduced?
Hamilton’s question was different. He wasn’t calling for vettel to be punished. He was asking why he wasn’t. Lots of drivers do this so they can fully understand what they are and are not allowed to do.
petebaldwin (@)
9th October 2017, 11:55
That desperation to win is the reason he’s as good as he is. Schumacher had it. So did Senna and Prost. Alonso and Vettel have it as well….
For comparison, Button doesn’t and never did. He’s a good driver but he lacks that edge that comes from putting everything on the line to win.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:05
Desperate? I don’t know how desperate he is but actions that are perfectly common (see BT46B, appeal about VET ignoring flags post-2012, etc. that’d be more desperate) are not a good way to measure desperateness.
Jaime
9th October 2017, 12:21
Grosjean asks in the same meeting if they’re allowed to undo the belts, noting that Hamilton usually does. Charle answers and that’s it, they’re just clarifying what they can/can’t do, or the reason for it. Charlie says you can loosen them, but not undo them, and Lewis says he undoes them. I mean, I’m no Hamilton fan but I don’t think drivers should be judged for what they ask in a driver briefing.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
8th October 2017, 15:58
Love those videos, but I hope they don’t abuse on showing them otherwise the drivers might react to being filmed and that takes away something out of it.
F Truth (@)
8th October 2017, 16:00
I agree, these videos really humanise the competitors more than any interview i’ve seen of late.
Strontium (@strontium)
8th October 2017, 16:23
It’s definitely a bit worrying. As I said last time, it’s cool as a one-off, but if they they keep doing this it will become a problem with the media and fans trying to use it to judge drivers for raising issues. It’s already happening in the comments section (obviously YouTube comments are not a shining example to the world, to say the least), and it could spread
SaraJ (@sjzelli)
8th October 2017, 17:15
It’s ok Lewis. It’s your 4th Sunday-drive championship. Stop being petty and just worship your peerless car which handed you all the statistics.
David BR (@david-br)
8th October 2017, 17:20
Quite. Sunday-drive championship is a petty insult after he’s beaten off Vettel with qualifying and race performances, and not having needless pram-cleaning moments.
Baron
8th October 2017, 18:02
Mercedes did that.
And no, Bottas is not the standard of F1.
David BR (@david-br)
8th October 2017, 21:28
Be serious at least.
Damon (@damon)
9th October 2017, 9:47
When did Vettel himself win a championship in not a dominating car?
magon4 (@magon4)
9th October 2017, 10:42
2012. @damon
Baron (@baron)
9th October 2017, 10:53
I wish to disassociate myself with the “other” Baron’s remarks. I’m really fed up with “it’s the car” rants. Of course it is, to a degree. The best drivers always get the best cars, period. Why is that? (Rhetorical question)
F Truth (@)
8th October 2017, 17:24
@sjzelli someone’s feeling salty today. 😂
Ninjenius (@ninjenius)
9th October 2017, 10:29
@offdutyrockstar Today? Having observed SaraJ’s comments over the past months I think he/she is permanently trapped inside a giant salt shaker. Only contributes by moaning, although it is very entertaining.
Thomas
8th October 2017, 17:34
+1, and love the way Grosjean intervenes: “Lewis if you want, we can all play that game”, and also that Vettel actually avoids falling to the same petty level, quietly taking it on the chin instead while his competitor is trying to damage him.
Bob C.
8th October 2017, 17:52
When I watched this I just couldn’t help thinking that having two small children in the familly seem to have taught Grosjean a thing or two…
F Truth (@)
9th October 2017, 10:44
So asking a question calmly in an open forum regarding a rule is petty yet intentionally crashing into your competitor and telling the race director to F off is dignified yes? 😂
GtisBetter (@)
8th October 2017, 17:35
It’s not about being petty, but about stewards responsibility. The rule is clear, the video is clear, why was there no action? It will only help the stewards if people ask them this question, cause it will be clearer from that moment. Vettel got away with one.
Frasier (@frasier)
8th October 2017, 18:18
Quite so. If the stewards in the future want get picky with a driver who takes his steering wheel away under similar circumstance, and that driver hadn’t just crashed a Ferrari, they might be tempted to hand out a penalty and then claim this incident wasn’t a precedent for not doing so.
steveetienne
8th October 2017, 22:34
remind us sara about the peerless car vettel won his 4 titles in.
SaraJ (@sjzelli)
9th October 2017, 0:35
Either understand those years were SO much closer, or stop watching F1 in general. Lamest argument today – which says something
Blazzz
9th October 2017, 8:43
Stop cherry picking. Vettel won in dominant cars. Now he and Ferrari have cracked under pressure. 25 points Vettel threw away in Singapore, 13 points in Baku. Without those brain fart moments Vettel would still be in it despite the reliability issues.
magon4 (@magon4)
9th October 2017, 10:49
“Vettel threw 25 points away” – I can’t here this british narrative anymore…
David BR (@david-br)
9th October 2017, 13:06
@magon4 You’re right, it was 18 points he threw away. No chance he was going to beat Verstappen on that track.
Damon (@damon)
9th October 2017, 9:51
A close championship gives you the same trophy, Sara.
Murph (@)
9th October 2017, 14:15
@sjzelli
“Either understand those years were SO much closer, or stop watching F1 in general. Lamest argument today – which says something”
There is a simple explanation for those years being so much closer:
Vettel isn’t as good as Hamilton.
SaraJ (@sjzelli)
9th October 2017, 19:01
Puh-lease. I certainly can’t be baited into this conversation. Check with me in 10 years and we’ll compare notes. …Still laughing that you actually believe that to be true.
Blazzz
9th October 2017, 8:39
You must be new to F1. It has always been about car and driver combo. Tell me the last time someone won the WDC without a Constructors’ winning car. Oh hang on… Look who’s on that list too.
It’s not like you have an agenda at all is it :)
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:17
It’s not like he failed to win the WDC the previous year with a car that scored more points (all of which DSQ’d for the WCC but 100% intact in the WDC) than the Ferrari that didn’t fail to.
Look, HAM is a great driver, (far) greater than an F-load of other WDC’s, but your (and others’) treating him as if a (demi-)god (something HAM himself doesn’t actually do btw), complete with hyperbole, is just repulsive. ALO had that kind of commenters about him as well, but does it really take a driver driving a total, absolute lemon powered by dreams plus GP2 specs for years on end (Indy 500 aside) for people to stop doing that despite the driver himself (probably) not driving worse?
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:07
@sjzelli That’s not how peerless works. I thought people would realise how not-very-dominant VET’s WDC-winning cars were after 2014 and 2015 and 2016. This year….it’s not even at the RB6/7/8/9’s llevel.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:23
oh, you mean to include 2014-2016? Fair enough – still, ROS was no slouch though
Andy
31st December 2017, 15:51
If Lewis was in the Ferrari he would have won last year’s championship.. He has won in every f1 car he has driven in.. Seb threw last year’s title away with petty immature behaviour..Trying to squeeze other drivers off track.. Marina bay like alonso said he only had to keep the wheel straight That deliberate!! move in Mexico to try and ruin Hamiltons race… Ferrari won’t back him for long with them kinda tactics.. Besides karma will always win..
Baron
8th October 2017, 18:05
So mouch for “I’ll settle things on track” Hamilton preaches.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
9th October 2017, 10:01
true! :D
Tiomkin
9th October 2017, 10:47
Rules are rules expect when the apply to Vettel. He can crash cars, bump into people, break clearly laid down rules and nobody does a thing about it. F1 is a joke.
David BR (@david-br)
9th October 2017, 13:18
Actually Hamilton has extremely good reason to question FIA stewarding decisions, given his own experience of their inconsistent application. Clearly he didn’t think Vettel would be retrospectively penalized because he asked, so your comment makes absolutely no sense. Nothing was going to be settled differenly. He was asking for clarification of the rules, which – incredible as it might seem – is why they have these kinds of meetings.
Anyhow, I also think Hamilton was maybe a tiny bit suspicious, or simply curious, about why Vettel was so eager to take the steering wheel. Maybe just so it wouldn’t be stolen, maybe not.
F1ed (@rinodina)
12th October 2017, 11:12
Just for the record: +1
SaraJ (@sjzelli)
8th October 2017, 18:59
Shamilton – Malaysia 2016:
“Someone doesn’t want me to win this year. We have so many engines made for drivers, but mine are the only ones failing this year”
Sebastian Vettel – Japan 2017:
“Being critical is part of the job, but I have to protect them (the team). We’ll go flat out for the next four races”
Nuff said.
F Truth (@)
8th October 2017, 19:28
Get over it.
Michael Brown (@)
8th October 2017, 19:42
Funny how “someone” doesn’t want Vettel to win this year eh?
racerdude7730 (@racerdude7730)
8th October 2017, 20:55
When’s vettel ever said this? He hasn’t so try harder next time with a comeback
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:26
@sjzelli
are you saying HAM doesn’t say anything to that tone?
Baron
9th October 2017, 23:20
@davidnotcoulthard
He didn’t last year.
Or the year before.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:45
why do people keep doing this with people’s names?
David BR (@david-br)
9th October 2017, 13:11
@sjzelli I’m not surprised Vettel fans fall for the ‘we must protect the team line’ but it’s completely bogus. What does it actually say? It says: the team (car) has a problem, not me. Which wouldn’t be curious, of course, except for Vettel’s poor judgements on track this season, which have cost him and Ferrari very valuable points, probably the title.
So just how noble is Vettel’s attitude? Not in the slightest, I’d say. More a case of throwing the team under the bus.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 14:19
@david-br
That’s not the only kind of judgements on-track VET’s made this season though to be fair.
(though OTOH I don’t recall HAM making poor judgements this season in case anyone wants to bring the WDC table into the discussion. He was slow a couple of times, but a repeat of Baku 2016’s Q3 is not something one in the right mind would be expecting from HAM right now)
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
9th October 2017, 14:18
@sjzelli Yes Hamilton is a horrible driver. Look at Rosberg – he was setting records to match Vettel’s when he decided to retire.
Do you know who else usually retires the next day after they win? People who win the lottery:-) Even Rosberg couldn’t argue that he had a 1-in-a-million chance to win as long as Lewis could get his fingers on the wheel.
Baron
9th October 2017, 23:24
@freelittlebirds
Rosberg felt he had done the best he could in 2016. Which makes sense if you look at 2015 and 2014.
Rosberg couldn’t manage to beat Webber so for him to land a Mercedes drive was fantastic. Then to have an inconsistent teammate like Hamilton was a bonus. All he had to do was match a solid season by his standards with a so-so season from Hamilton. That’s what he did.
Michael Brown (@)
8th October 2017, 19:47
Article 22.5 of the sporting regulations states: “A driver who abandons a car must leave it in neutral or with the clutch disengaged, with the ERS shut down and with the steering wheel in place.”
“The race had finished and the car clearly didn’t need a steering wheel for the marshals to manoeuvre it, which is the sole reason for asking you to leave the steering wheel with it. For me, under the circumstances, it was not worth reporting to the stewards.”
I didn’t get that from Article 22.5. Perhaps it’s because I’m not a mind reader so I can’t tell what the reason for that rule existing is.
grat
8th October 2017, 19:59
Ah. So according to Charlie Whiting, the word “must” means “we’re asking nicely”.
I was pretty sure that the word “must” in terms of rules meant “this is a requirement”, but it’s good to know that “must” implies an optional component.
… and the FIA wonders why people have such contempt for them.
clones
8th October 2017, 20:59
Is Charlie w a liability to the sport?
Lancer033 (@lancer033)
8th October 2017, 23:00
almost….it means must for every team except Ferrari. Ferrari can do anything they want because they’re Ferrari.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
9th October 2017, 9:22
One poster on this website suggested the reason for removing the steering wheel was in case spectators, who now had access to the race track after the race, had got to the car and stripped it of anything that wasn’t bolted down. In such a case the steering wheel would disappear, possibly to later appear on an online auction website. This seemed to me a fairly reasonable excuse.
I don’t know why Vettel did remove the wheel, but if that was the reason he’d given to Charlie then surely that should be the end of the matter, and Charlie should have given that reason for not pursuing the matter. If, as it sounded in the post, this has happened in the past, then Hamilton would probably have accepted this reason without question. If one considers the unlikely scenario that Vettel did switch the steering wheel for one that is heavier (e.g. full of lead), then so what? The alternative was the stewards wouldn’t have a steering wheel to weigh, so they couldn’t be sure the car would have been underweight or not. Now, with a steering wheel (even a fake one filled with lead), they can weigh the car.
As I think about this, maybe Charlie should just say that from now on drivers have the option to carry their steering wheel with them when they get weighed at the end of a race.
All in all, this was an avoidable situation, but no, for one reason or another people have chosen to paint themselves into a corner, now they have to wait for the paint to dry.
anon
9th October 2017, 10:06
Vettel also said that he could not reattach the wheel due to the angle of the steering column. If you watch his onboard video as he stops the car you can see that the rotary dials usually at the bottom of the steering wheel are at the top so the wheel is amost completely turned round upside down. The wheel has to be aligned correctly with the steering column to be reattched (to prevent the possibility of it being fitted crooked) I think it was this extreme angle which prevented reattachment. I don’t see how the steering wheel could be switched, people are forgetting that Wehrlein drove into parc ferme complete with Vettel and his steering wheel.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
9th October 2017, 14:10
Thanks, finally a simple, clear, and logical explanation that explains everything. In the video it looked to me like Vettel had reattached the steering wheel, but then went back and removed it. However, another explanation is Vettel couldn’t reattach the steering wheel and was going to leave it sitting loose on the steering column, but one could argue “loose on the steering column” is also illegal because it isn’t fitted correctly, so he decided to take it with him. Regardless, the explanation given above by Anonymous sounds completely plausible.
sethje (@seth-space)
8th October 2017, 20:21
Vettle already received a reprimand for not showing up during the ceremony and the national anthems.
grat
9th October 2017, 1:08
… but that’s a non-driving reprimand, and it requires two driving reprimands for him to take a grid penalty.
What I suspect was going through Hamilton’s mind (and no doubt a few other drivers) is that if they’d carried the steering wheel back to the pits in someone else’s car, they’d have been reprimanded.
Speaking of which, Webber was reprimanded for riding on Alonso’s car at the end of the 2013 Singapore GP– not because of the ride, supposedly, but because he hitched a ride in an unsafe manner. From an article at the time:
I don’t know whether it’s Vettel, or Ferrari, but for some reason, the stewards favor some drivers over others, and what is a punishable offense for one driver, isn’t worth reporting to the stewards for another.
Michael Brown (@)
9th October 2017, 4:10
@grat
Webber was reprimanded for reentering the confines of the circuit having left them moments before. When he did so, he also caused one of the Mercedes cars to take avoiding action to not hit him. The ride itself had nothing to do with it, but Webber himself tried to push that as the reason when he tweeted about it later.
I also don’t believe that it’s just Ferrari. The Azerbaijan stewards admitted that they didn’t want to influence the championship, and the decision regarding Grosjean’s race ban – because he took out championship contenders – shows that the stewards give light penalties or no penalty at all to keep the championship alive.
anon
9th October 2017, 10:26
Are we sure that this rule has not always been interpreted in this way? That a driver will only be reported if failure to leave the steering wheel in place or the car in neutral prevented or delayed moving the car. I remember there certainly being a case were the marshals struggled to move the car because a driver had not put back the steering wheel, I think that might have been Maldonado’s case, but can’t be sure if it was or not. This rule exists because any delay can increase the time the marshals are exposed working beside the track as well as delaying the event by unnecessarily extending yellow flags, VSC, safety cars or even causing a red flag.
There are clearly incidences were it is either impossible or impractical for drivers to follow this rule: car stuck in gear, car on fire, car upside down etc. I can’t rember any such incidents being investigated. This is not one of the black and white rules that always lead to a penalty, there are legitimate defences. Some people seem to think that if Vettel was reported there would automatically have been a penalty, I don’t think there would have been if the stewards accepted that Vettel had tried but could not replace his steering wheel.
Andrew (@bombinaround)
9th October 2017, 13:56
+1 this. I’m pretty sure Alonso don’t get hauled before the stewards last year for not re-attaching the steering wheel to his upside-down McLaren in Australia
Bonbonjai
8th October 2017, 21:23
Ouch!
Ian Bond (@ianbond001)
8th October 2017, 22:10
What is wrong, Lewis?! More than 80 points gifted to you in the championship fight by Seb and his team, are not enough?!
grat
9th October 2017, 1:12
Meh. Almost makes up for the 100+ points McLaren gifted to Red Bull in 2012. ;)
But more seriously, Hamilton was essentially asking why Vettel didn’t even get reviewed, let alone punished, for an obvious infraction of the rules– Not the first time Vettel has gotten off lightly for behavior that would have sent Hamilton to the back of the grid for the next 5 races.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:42
@ianbond001 If you can ask then I don’t really see why one should be condemned for doing so but even that aside, after how 2007 ended he probably wants all the points advantage that he can get – I mean that’s probably how I’d be in his position.
Mark
8th October 2017, 23:21
The real reason vettel took his steering wheel was because he was in Kimi’s car also after deliberately pulling in front of strolls car to disable his Ferrari so it didn’t make it back. That’s why kimi got a grid penalty for replacing his gearbox at suzuka today but it all backfired on the cheating Ferrari team when vettels car broke down. Now that’s karma
Melchior (@)
9th October 2017, 2:50
Lewis,you get payed bulk money,surely you can afford a new pair of jeans……
Lewis Stroll (@ginola14)
9th October 2017, 12:52
@melchior They looked like bandages lol. Thought Lewis had injured himself recently.
Lewis Stroll (@ginola14)
9th October 2017, 5:33
This article is a pure magnet for the anti-Hamilton brigade.
Palle (@palle)
9th October 2017, 10:06
In the video from the drivers meeting I think Lewis embarrassed himself, firstly by being petty over the steering wheel issue, and secondly by admitting breaking the rules about taking of the seat belt on the in-lap after the race. And this has nothing to be with being pro- or con Hamilton, You would get this verdict from someone watching it, listening, who don’t know anything about F1.
Lewis Stroll (@ginola14)
9th October 2017, 12:12
@palle How did he embarrass himself? He asked a question which he had a right to ask. And Charlie clarified. If that was a dumb question, Charlie would have ignored him. And it is in the rulebook that the driver cannot remove the steering wheel in the event that his car has stopped on the circuit.
As for him admitting he broke the rule, was the rule ESTABLISHED and MADE KNOWN LOUD AND CLEAR to all driver beforehand? It seems like one of those grey areas which has to be clarified.
Awaiting a mature and sensible reply from you instead of a lame insult. Dont embarrass yourself.
JerseyF1 (@jerseyf1)
9th October 2017, 14:46
@palle Are you actually suggesting Hamilton should have lied and pretended he had never unfastened his belts despite it being quite easy to prove that he had? Now that would have been an embarrassing outcome!
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:33
@ginola14 which at this moment in time (has changed, will change again) seems to be better than the pro-HAM brigade (you don’t seem to be the author of horrible hailing hyperbolic comments though so I’m not referring to you by saying that).
p.s. look at post history just to make sure and it seems you were out for a few years. I guess welcome back?
Lewis Stroll (@ginola14)
9th October 2017, 12:51
@davidnotcoulthard
Yeah i found my password again lol.
Tried to remain neutral on Hamilton vs Vettel. Just wanted a fair battle down to the wire but it seems unlikely.
However this phenomenon of latching onto anything Lewis has done/said/worn/failed to do/failed say/etc; and then unleashing a torrent of illogical comments that barely concealed their innate hatred for Lewis is really a sight by itself.
It doesn’t take a look to trigger the activation of the anti-Hamilton bridgade who is seemingly on standby 24/7 to pour scorn or ridicule any of his actions/achievements/fails.
Even Trump or Clinton aren’t that polarizing or can command that kind of reactions in comparison lol.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 14:24
how the comment section @keithcollantine has to deal with often is :p
SaraJ (@sjzelli)
9th October 2017, 16:03
Oh Lewis is equally as polarizing as Trump, don’t kid yourself – especially on this Ham fan-boi site, where stupidity reigns.
Nikhil Patel (@tiya)
9th October 2017, 17:07
Are you bringing this “bad people on both sides” nonsense into this discussion?
Hamilton doesn’t have to be liked. But there is some over-the-top hatred for this guy.
F Truth (@)
9th October 2017, 13:05
They needed something to do seeing as they’ve been twiddling their thumbs for the last 3 races. May as well stick a keyboard infront of them. 🤣
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 14:20
@offdutyrockstar TIL it’s impossible to be I guess “pro-VES” while being “anti-HAM”
OOliver
9th October 2017, 5:46
Many are trying to trivialize the seriousness of Vettel’s action. All cars must pass the post inspection before the cars are handed over to the teams. Vettel took a piece of his car with him, that he could swap.
I’ve seen Vettel touching and feeling the cars of other competitors after qualifying or races, something I’ve never seen other drivers doing.
The FIA and Whithing are so inconsistent in up holding their own rules and over looking serious infractions.
Would have been better if he has said they were not aware, rather than saying it didn’t matter.
How do we know Vettel didn’t swap the steering with another that weighed 6kg.
anon
9th October 2017, 9:54
The steering wheel was placed in Wehrlein’s Sauber which drove straight to parc ferme in the pitlane where officials would have taken charge of it. How is Vettel going to swap the steering wheel in parc ferme? The rest of the car was then recovered to parc ferme by the marshals. If you check the FIA technical documents on their website you will see that the steering wheels of all classified cars were checked (that includes Vettel’s).
Luke Harrison
9th October 2017, 20:52
That’s a joke right? you’re making a funny.
DW
9th October 2017, 7:30
How many millions do Mercedes spend to beat Ferrari in Q?
And Hamilton could potentially have made it an *extra* five places for free with a few comments in an interview?
Don’t you think a multi-million paid team member has an obligation to his employer to peruse the competitive advantage.
To say nothing of the fact that there’s a rule: it was broken. Apologists can say what they like, but can’t change that. But hey, it’s not like it was an *important* rule…
Damon (@damon)
9th October 2017, 10:05
Seeing the turmoil in the comments above alone, I think Mercedes should’ve enquired about the issue, rather than Lewis doing it by himself and then being subject to the nonsensical backlash by cynical fans.
Palle (@palle)
9th October 2017, 10:17
@damon: “nonsensical backlash by cynical fans” – haha, Lewis opened his mouth were he maybe should’ve kept silent. He is fantastic in that Mercedes, he should concentrate on that, and let FIA and others do their job regarding violations of rules, which does not affect him directly. The video increases the viewers respect for Grosjean, not so much Lewis.
Damon (@damon)
9th October 2017, 11:49
Which they failed to do.
A competitor being allowed to break the rules affects all other competitors.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
9th October 2017, 12:37
at least both of you seem to be right that it’s probably not best if Lewis asks alone
David BR (@david-br)
9th October 2017, 21:42
I don’t see it. Hamilton legitimately asked for clarification on a FIA rule which had been waived without explanation. Whiting’s explanation was accepted. However it was useful to the drivers – all of them – that the clarification was made for the future. Grosjean’s question came across as raising an issue nobody, including Whiting, wanted to have to set rules on, i.e. loosening seat belts after the race or not, especially after winning racres. Given winning a GP is not an issue Grosjean has ever faced in his 118 race starts, and isn’t ever likely to, it came across as needless.
joe pineapples
9th October 2017, 11:46
Pretty weak reasoning by Charlie Whiting. Maybe some rules are suited to a ‘grey’ area, but that one should be black & white and shouldn’t really need any flexibility.
Ninjenius (@ninjenius)
9th October 2017, 12:47
The tension in the room when Lewis jokes about Vettel needing to keep his seatbelt on after the chequered flag…
JerseyF1 (@jerseyf1)
9th October 2017, 14:50
@ninjenius That was by far the highlight for me – I can’t believe it hasn’t been commented on more. I thought it was quite witty by Hamilton there!
F Truth (@)
9th October 2017, 15:11
Haha yes.
The whole thing is pretty light hearted but the salacious Sebfosi are going to be throwing their toys out of the pram for some time after this weekend. Much like their hero.
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
9th October 2017, 13:42
This is exactly why FIA doesn’t want to release driver’s briefing; for comments like this. I understand that Lewis might be taking a jab at Vettel but this was suppose to be private.
Adam Blocker (@blockwall2)
9th October 2017, 19:05
I think people are really blowing this out of proportion. Hamilton asked about the steering wheel because he needs to, like all of the other drivers, have a good understanding of the rules so that he can follow them. He might find himself in the same situation in the future and would need to know when it is ok to do what Sebastian did or not. If he and his team thought Sebastian did anything illegal they would have submitted documentation after the race.
Jon (@johns23)
10th October 2017, 1:00
Maybe he’s just making a point of how much Seb gets away with. Interesting