Lewis Hamilton deliberately disobeyed multiple instructions from his race engineer, Carlo Santi, to stop his Ferrari on track after sustaining significant damage to his car during FP3 at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The seven-time F1 drivers' champion crashed at the final corner at the Madring, bringing out a red flag around 25 minutes into the final hour of free practice running.
Having been able to reverse his SF-26 out of the barriers, the British driver attempted to nurse it back to the pit lane and avoid missing out on the final half an hour of the session.
However, with the front wing of his car tucked up underneath the floor, he was ordered to pull to one side, as it was in an unsafe condition to drive.
For over half the lap, Hamilton went against the instructions, despite being told that the race director, Rui Marques, had requested he stop at the safest possible place.
It was initially feared that he might face repercussions for his actions, but the 41-year-old has yet to be noted by the stewards in Madrid, so he may avoid further investigation and punishment.
At the Canadian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez was handed a three-place grid penalty for the next round after driving his Red Bull in an unsafe condition.
Check out the full conversation between Santi and Hamilton over Ferrari team radio below!
Full Ferrari team radio transcript
Carlo Santi: "Mode warm-up, mode warm-up, please."
Santi: "If you are stuck, switch off. If you are stuck, switch off."
[Hamilton starts moving]
Santi: "Stop the car, stop the car, stop the car."
Lewis Hamilton: "The car is going."
[keeps going]
Santi: "You have the wing under the wheels. Stop in the safest place, the safest place possible, as soon as you see the gate."
Hamilton: "If I can make it back, I will. If I can't, I'll do it safely."
[keeps going]
Santi: "We have a puncture on the front right. Stop the car."
Hamilton: "I can see that. I can see that."
[keeps going]
Santi: "Stop... stop the car at the first gate you find. It's the race director; he's asking to stop the car in the safest place possible."
Hamilton: "I can make it back safely!"
Santi: "They told us, they told us, it's a formal request; they told us to stop in the safest place possible. Stop before Turn 12, on the left." Santi: "Stop on the track right."
Hamilton: "But I can make it back— okay, I'm stopping the car."
Santi: "Ignition off and PO, please. Ignition off and PO."
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