Lewis Hamilton expects the FIA should take a “very strict” stance on Max Verstappen’s failure to slow for yellow flags in today’s qualifying session.
Verstappen, who qualified on pole position, is under investigation for failing to slow down for yellow flags which were waved at the scene of Valtteri Bottas’s crash at the end of Q3.Hamilton was the first driver to pass Bottas’s crashed car. “Valtteri was just ahead of me,” he said. “So I came around the corner and I saw bits on the ground.
“There was no flag at the time and I saw bits on the ground and I was quite hesitant because obviously something had happened ahead. And so I wasn’t I hesitated getting back on power. And by the time I realised that there was a crash, I was basically past it.”
Verstappen admitted he did not back off as he passed the crash and the Red Bull driver improved his lap time. Hamilton believes the FIA will take a dim view of his actions.
“I think it’s very important that the FIA are very, very strict with the double yellow flags. We’ve seen experiences in the past – I remember like Monaco, for example, where you see the GP2 driver [Pastor Maldonado in World Series by Renault] take out a marshal, a volunteer who puts their lives on the line to make sure the driver is safe on the road.
“If you’ve got people who are just being careless and not abiding by the rules… He actually didn’t even need to stay flat out. He’d already got pole, basically. I think the FIA need to be very, very strict on that.
“I don’t know what else to say it but luckily there were no marshals on the track. For all he knew Valtteri could have been in the middle of the circuit and the marshals could have been there. That’s what a double yellow flag generally means, it could be a massive incident ahead. So the fact that he ignored it means is not great, but it’s done
“Hopefully the right calls are made and put in place. The drivers need to know to respect those things.”
Although yellow flags were waved at the scene of the crash, Verstappen did not appear to have a yellow light signal on his steering wheel. But Hamilton said this is “no excuse” for failing to slow.
“It doesn’t matter where the yellow is. You can see double yellow flags waving in general but I don’t think that’s a good enough excuse. The fact is he said he saw it. So he saw the flags and then decided not to react to it.”
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Joao (@johnmilk)
26th October 2019, 23:19
The marshall post sensors were destroyed on impact
Hamilton is right, both him and Max should get a penalty, both improved their laps
and Vettel even though he didn’t, not clear if he slowed down considerably
OOliver
26th October 2019, 23:28
Hamilton would have arrived at the accident while it was still happening as he was very close behind Bottas.
Verstappen on the other hand arrived many seconds later.
LB (@burden93)
27th October 2019, 0:16
Hamilton did a faster lap compared to his first in Q3, but was actually slower in the final sector as he lifted
DeanR (@deanr)
27th October 2019, 10:57
Joao doesn’t care about that! Any opportunity to dig at Lewis is gleefully accepted. As predictable as the seasons is our Joao.
Mike
26th October 2019, 23:19
Here’s Hamilton who drove his fastest sector as well….hypocrite!
Ju88sy (@)
26th October 2019, 23:58
Eh? If you are labelling Hamilton as a hypocrite I am labelling you as an Ignoramus…clearly you didn’t read the article or watch Qualification.
The Skeptic (@)
27th October 2019, 0:05
Good… good… Let the hate flow through you…
Angela (@angie)
27th October 2019, 17:45
How many different user names do you have? You made exactly the same comment under a different name on a different post. When your Mummy finds out that you are still using her computer she is going to give you such a hiding.
DeanR (@deanr)
27th October 2019, 10:58
Slow clap for Mike
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
26th October 2019, 23:23
Apart from the fact that modern day formula 1 means that marshals won’t go anywhere near the track until at least a VSC has been activated.
I would agree if this was 5 years ago…
Sham (@sham)
27th October 2019, 7:15
They certainly could, and would be if there was a fire or the driver was obviously in trouble.
There is no excuse for Verstappens failure to lift. Everyone else did, even Hamilton who was practically past it before it happened.
I actually feel 3 grid spots is a very lenient decision.
Angela (@angie)
27th October 2019, 17:46
So Botha’s safety is not important?
Señor Sjon
26th October 2019, 23:28
Of course Lewis says this, he would benefit from a penalty. Don’t forget Bottas got a Q3 time in during a red flag due to a ‘misalignment’ between two control stations. If the electronic signs were damaged, have the marshalling station before it sign yellows. Or just do the red flag like everytime this has happened.
w0o0dy
26th October 2019, 23:47
And still there are people that don’t understand why people dislike Lewis.
Double standards, sore loser and general cry-baby when things don’t go as he likes it..
Verstappen could only see one yellow flag not double yellow, no indication on the wheel and it was quite clear that Valteri was off-track. Max didn’t take that last corner flat out but rules are rules. No need to whine about it Lewis. Max didn’t whine… And he knew what was coming but didn’t lie or hide. That’s a man not a baby.
Tom
27th October 2019, 0:32
Max didn’t whine, but you sure did.
JI
27th October 2019, 8:18
Lewis is being a hypocrite
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 8:58
Nope, you should take a course in English as you clearly cannot comprehend what I wrote.
DeanR (@deanr)
27th October 2019, 11:13
Oh we comprehended just fine. Your loaded outburst was devoid of anything other than your obvious dislike of LH. You dont like Lewis, we get it but where are his “double standards” here? He was past the incident before flags were waved AND he slowed sufficiently in that sector. I didn’t see one bit of “whining” from Lewis and what has he got to be a “sore loser” about? He has won more races than the rest of the field combined this year and is about to pick up WDC No6. For a Sore loser he does a hell of a lot of winning. I think there is 1 sore person in this conversation and it isn’t Lewis or myself. Enjoy the race 😀
MacLeod (@macleod)
27th October 2019, 1:29
Seems he wanted that penaulty … and there was only 1 flag waved not double.
anon
27th October 2019, 7:57
w0o0dy, he did actually take that corner flat out – the onboard telemetry shows that Verstappen doesn’t lift at all.
Also, your defence that “Verstappen could only see one yellow flag” still clearly shows that Verstappen is in the wrong, as the rules clearly state that a driver must slow down and be prepared to take evasive action if a marshal is waiving a single yellow flag – something Verstappen makes no attempt to do whatsoever.
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 9:02
I don’t dispute the fact that a penalty was unavoidable. But seeing the line he took, he did take the crashed car from Bottas into account picking his line. That was not the fastest line through there.
The fact he gets 3 places seems a bit extreme but Max is the one calling for the stewards to be consistent…
Maybe they could have left it at stripping the fastest lap and points on the license? He would have kept pole. But then again… Maybe the 2nd row is actually better given the long straight.
geezer
27th October 2019, 9:15
I suspect that second row might be better for Ver as he has a chance to slipstream the Ferrari in front, unless the Scuderia drivers have a gentleman’s agreement to thwart that, but somehow I doubt it!
Stubborn Swiss (@stubbornswiss)
27th October 2019, 11:06
@w0o0dy
‘Sore loser’??
What exactly did he lose?
The World Drivers Championship?
I must have missed something!
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 11:29
Look at the comments coming from Lewis whe ever he doesn’t win and someone makes a mistake… He’s always asking for penalties in those situations…
YouGo Chavez
27th October 2019, 1:20
Hamilton was probably asked & this was his response. He is right to say what he did & in no way was this because he would gain an advantage from Verstappen receiving a penalty. In fact having Verstappen immediately behind leaves him at risk of being taken out by a gung-ho move by Max at the start.
I am glad Valterri is fine, he seemed to limp out of the car.
But those defending Max have no idea.
It stands to reason that if another driver pushing hard (as Max was) lost the car they would end up in roughly the same area where Bottas’ car was. I shudder to remind you all but it was a contributory factor to J Bianchi’s accident – may he rest peacefully.
The only defence any driver could have is that they were too close to the event to lift & even then expect to have the lap time deleted. But Max could see yellow flags & the silver arrow. Most other drivers by just having sight of the car would have presence of mind to lift.
More worrying is Verstappen’s nonchalant reaponse let them delete the lap he says. He doesn’t in his youthful exuberance seem to realise the danger he puts himself & others in. He is not aware when something happens others willl be left to cry.
But someone in the sport needs to have a talk with him to actually understand the risks.
I am very surprised the stewards didnt seem to look at this until he made damning comments in the press conference.
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 9:07
More likely the team told him the racing line was free so he knew there was little danger as long as you don’t over do it in that corner. His car was not on the absolute edge through that corner. Mind you it’s not positive he didn’t lift but he people crying about the danger do not understand what goes on in the car. He was in control and actually lifting might have increased the risk if you do it IN the corner.. and before the corner there were no flags to be seen.
But he should have been smarter and lifted because those are the rules.
Mike
27th October 2019, 11:17
The only time that lifting in a corner might, possibly, could be dangerous is if you are on a sportsbike.
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 11:31
Try a racecar sometimes. Lifting can cause sudden oversteer in the middle of the corner. So you would counter steer (towards Bottas) or spin (into Bottas).
Learn some vehicle dynamics before you claim bs like you just did.
YouGo Chavez
27th October 2019, 12:15
Absolute tosh, he was pushing the car to its limits just as Bottas was & by doing so the probability of him making an error was very high. His line might have been clear but the side of the track wasnt & had he come off his momentum would have meant he ended up more or less where Bottas’ car was. Lifting causes understeer that’s a new one – can you explain why this is the advice given by officials in such circumstances. Lifting reduces speed gives more time to bring the vehicle under control. Also it is not for the team to give advice contrary to what race control is directing all drivers to do.
This is not Toy Story 3 !
bob (@riptide)
27th October 2019, 14:02
Yea, I agree. I think all the drivers who lifted should be given a penalty. Everyone knows if there is a yellow being waved on a corner you should do the safest thing and floor it. Vettel should be given a ban for slowing so much.
BTW stop pretending you know how a racecar reacts. I doubt you are even allowed near sharp objects.
kcrossle (@kcrossle)
27th October 2019, 14:24
To Yugo – Google “trailing throttle oversteer”
https://g.co/kgs/1wUwHb
Angela (@angie)
27th October 2019, 17:53
Woody, tyres go from grip to slip when you add power not when you reduce power. It is a simple law of physics. Learn some vehicle dynamics before you claim BS like you just did.
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 19:00
Schools in: https://youtu.be/RvHErTheI9w
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 19:02
@Angie: some education for you in the YouTube link.
RB13
27th October 2019, 11:43
Saltiest keyboard warrior of the weekend clearly sealed by w0o0dy, congrats.
w0o0dy
27th October 2019, 18:17
Reading is apparently too difficult for some here. Too bad. And discussing vehicle dynamics with people who know nothing about it is pointless. If lift off oversteer is beyond your grasp then please don’t comment on a website about racing.