The stewards have examined Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's rear wings again following Saturday's Sprint Qualifying race in Brazil. Hamilton was excluded from Friday's qualifying session at the Interlagos Circuit over a Drag Reduction System (DRS) technical breach, which was picked up when the uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions were checked on his, Verstappen's and several other drivers' cars. Hamilton's original rear wing was impounded by the stewards, with Mercedes given permission to use a replacement for the rest of the weekend. Verstappen himself was fined €50,000 for breaching the FIA International Sporting Code relating to parc ferme conditions, with video footage showing the Red Bull driver touching the rear wing of Hamilton's Mercedes post-qualifying. After Sprint Qualifying, all 20 cars went through various checks to ensure their legality, with selected cars subjected to other, specific examinations.
Only Hamilton and Verstappen's rear wings checked
Intriguingly, only Hamilton and Verstappen's cars were chosen for checks on the uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions this time around. In the notes issued by FIA F1 Technical Delegate Jo Bauer, all car weights and items checked during post-session scrutineering were found to be in conformity with Formula 1's Technical Regulations. Verstappen finished Sprint Qualifying in second position, while Hamilton recovered from 20th to fifth, raising further questions from the Red Bull camp about Mercedes' straight-line speed and rear wing. Hamilton will start Sunday's Grand Prix from 10th after a five-place engine change penalty.
Most read
