Mercedes consider appealing FIA decision on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen incident

Lewis Hamilton goes undercover to inspire school children

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Mercedes are set to challenge the FIA’s decision not to punish Max Verstappen after he appeared to run Lewis Hamilton off the track during Sunday’s thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix. Having started 10th on the grid, Hamilton soared though the field and was up to second when he tried to go around the outside of his title rival on turn four, only for the Dutchman to run wide as the pair came within inches of a wheel-to-wheel collision.

FIA officials decided against investigating the incident at the time, and upon learning the news over team radio, Hamilton sarcastically responded with “of course, of course.”

The decision no doubt compounded the frustration of the seven-time world champion, who after having to take a five-grid penalty in Sao Paulo for a fifth internal combustion engine change of the season, had to start Saturday’s sprint race from the back of the grid for a DRS infringement during qualifying.

However, with 12 laps to go at Interlagos he did eventually pass Verstappen, and then proceeded to take the chequered flag to seal what he later described as one of his greatest career wins.

The result leaves him 14 points off the Dutchman with three race to go, but Mercedes are still incensed that no action was taken against the championship leader and are considering challenging the verdict.

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According to the Daily Mail, one team member said: “It seems a very lenient adjudication and we are looking into it to see if we want to take it further.”

That declaration isn’t surprising, after Team Principal Toto Wolff claimed that the perceived infringement should have carried the minimum of a five-second penalty for the Red Bull driver.

“Just brushing it under the carpet is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s laughable,” he said after the race.

“In a certain way, when you [Mercedes] are taking punches all weekend and then you have such a situation on top of everything, you are just losing faith in a way.”

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Inevitably, Red Bull boss Christian Horner saw things differently, saying it was simply a case of ‘hard racing’ between the two drivers, and he praised the officials for making the correct decision.

However, on Monday, FIA race director Michael Masi hinted that Verstappen, 24, was not out of the woods yet.

He revealed that on-board footage from his vehicle was not available to him during the Grand Prix, but said it had now been requested with a view to officials analysing the incident further.

It’s the latest development in what proved a tempestuous weekend for Hamilton, 36, and Verstappen.

As well as Hamilton’s punishments, Verstappen was fined €50,000 for touching and examining the British driver’s rear wing himself after qualifying.

And after his race victory the British driver was hit with a €5,000 fine, with a further 20,000 suspended for 2022, after taking off his seatbelt during his celebratory lap.

The drivers now head straight from Brazil to Qatar for this weekend’s Grand Prix, before the season culminates in December with races in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

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