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#257
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Originally Posted by F1-live.com
Formula One officials are investigating Lewis Hamilton's victory in last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, amid allegations that he engaged in improper driving, a FIA spokeswoman said Thursday.
Officials are reviewing video evidence suggesting that Hamilton's driving behind the safety car at the rain-lashed Fuji Speedway led to a crash that ended the race for Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.
"New evidence has been brought to the stewards' attention and they are currently looking into the matter," said the spokeswoman for the FIA, the sport's governing body.
"It would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this particular stage, in particular as to what penalty, if any, might be imposed."
The British rookie leads the race for the world championship by 12 points, with two races left. But if found guilty of improper driving, his points from Japan could be erased or - more likely - he could face a grid position penalty in Shanghai. Hamilton was expected to meet with Formula One stewards on Friday.
The incident was missed by official TV coverage, but a clip posted on the YouTube video sharing website shows Hamilton slowing dramatically and veering to the right of the track just before Vettel rear-ended Webber.
Vettel has been penalised ten grid positions at the Chinese Grand Prix for his role in the crash, and Hamilton could expect a similar punishment if found to be in breach of Formula One safety car regulations.
Webber and Vettel have both since been critical of Hamilton's performance.
YouTube Fuji home video
Officials are reviewing video evidence suggesting that Hamilton's driving behind the safety car at the rain-lashed Fuji Speedway led to a crash that ended the race for Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.
"New evidence has been brought to the stewards' attention and they are currently looking into the matter," said the spokeswoman for the FIA, the sport's governing body.
"It would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this particular stage, in particular as to what penalty, if any, might be imposed."
The British rookie leads the race for the world championship by 12 points, with two races left. But if found guilty of improper driving, his points from Japan could be erased or - more likely - he could face a grid position penalty in Shanghai. Hamilton was expected to meet with Formula One stewards on Friday.
The incident was missed by official TV coverage, but a clip posted on the YouTube video sharing website shows Hamilton slowing dramatically and veering to the right of the track just before Vettel rear-ended Webber.
Vettel has been penalised ten grid positions at the Chinese Grand Prix for his role in the crash, and Hamilton could expect a similar punishment if found to be in breach of Formula One safety car regulations.
Webber and Vettel have both since been critical of Hamilton's performance.
YouTube Fuji home video
#258
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Oh give me a break!!! I just read the report in a Canadian paper. He didn't break check anyone and there is NOTHING in the rules that says you have to maintain a set speed. Have you never seen a driver warming his tires by slowing and then doing a burnout???
The other boys got caught out, plain and simple. Either playing with something in the cockpit, or just bad visibilty.
Why should they do more then a grid penalty in the next start (which I don't agree with anyway)? Where was the FIA when they watched Alonso clearly drive Hamilton right off the road? No investigation there, no penalty ~ just horrid sportmanship!
The other boys got caught out, plain and simple. Either playing with something in the cockpit, or just bad visibilty.
Why should they do more then a grid penalty in the next start (which I don't agree with anyway)? Where was the FIA when they watched Alonso clearly drive Hamilton right off the road? No investigation there, no penalty ~ just horrid sportmanship!
#259
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Oh give me a break!!! I just read the report in a Canadian paper. He didn't break check anyone and there is NOTHING in the rules that says you have to maintain a set speed. Have you never seen a driver warming his tires by slowing and then doing a burnout???
The other boys got caught out, plain and simple. Either playing with something in the cockpit, or just bad visibilty.
Why should they do more then a grid penalty in the next start (which I don't agree with anyway)? Where was the FIA when they watched Alonso clearly drive Hamilton right off the road? No investigation there, no penalty ~ just horrid sportmanship!
The other boys got caught out, plain and simple. Either playing with something in the cockpit, or just bad visibilty.
Why should they do more then a grid penalty in the next start (which I don't agree with anyway)? Where was the FIA when they watched Alonso clearly drive Hamilton right off the road? No investigation there, no penalty ~ just horrid sportmanship!
#260
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More on the story....LH's side.
Hamilton's driving to be investigated
Thursday, 04, October, 2007, 12:07
Lewis Hamilton is facing a stewards' investigation into his driving while under the safety car in the Japanese Grand Prix.
The officials are understood to be considering whether Hamilton could have contributed to the collision between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel that took the duo out of second and third places during the second caution period at Fuji.
"New evidence has been brought to the stewards' attention and they are currently investigating the matter," an FIA spokesman told autosport.com.
Vettel said at the time that he had hit Webber while distracted by Hamilton slowing unexpectedly.
“I was exiting turn 13 and looking at Lewis, because all of a sudden he seemed to slow down really much and I thought he had a problem at that stage," Vettel told ITV Sport's Louise Goodman in Japan.
“And by the time I was looking back to the front I was already crashing into Mark’s rear end.”
In today's pre-event press conference at Shanghai, Webber – who had originally pinned the blame for the crash firmly on Vettel – also suggested that Hamilton had been accelerating and braking unexpectedly behind the safety car.
"It definitely contributed to Sebastian hitting me up the back that we were confused at what the other car was doing because he wasn’t doing what you are supposed to do," Webber said.
"I think he did a s*** job behind the safety car.
"He spoke in the drivers' briefing about how good a job he was going to do and then he did the job the opposite way – so we know for next time, it's no problem."
However after winning at Fuji, Hamilton said it had been necessary to brake sharply because of the braking material McLaren had been using – and suggested it was Webber whose driving had been erratic.
"We just needed to keep the heat in the brakes," he said.
"I was running quite a hard compound of brakes, so if I did light braking, I would have glazed the brakes.
"So I was making sure there was a little bit of a gap, maximising the gap that you're allowed and [using] it to my benefit.
"It was tough because Mark behind me was just too close, and all of a sudden he braked really hard and I don't know what happened – someone ran into him.
"I was constantly on the radio to my engineers to tell the Red Bull team to get Mark to make a little more of a gap because I couldn't go any faster because the pace car was in front of me.
"So I was trying to keep the distance with him and then I'd move over because I couldn't see Mark and then he'd just appear alongside me, so he kept outbraking himself.
"I felt something was going to happen, and I guess my instincts told me right."
Hamilton's driving to be investigated
Thursday, 04, October, 2007, 12:07
Lewis Hamilton is facing a stewards' investigation into his driving while under the safety car in the Japanese Grand Prix.
The officials are understood to be considering whether Hamilton could have contributed to the collision between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel that took the duo out of second and third places during the second caution period at Fuji.
"New evidence has been brought to the stewards' attention and they are currently investigating the matter," an FIA spokesman told autosport.com.
Vettel said at the time that he had hit Webber while distracted by Hamilton slowing unexpectedly.
“I was exiting turn 13 and looking at Lewis, because all of a sudden he seemed to slow down really much and I thought he had a problem at that stage," Vettel told ITV Sport's Louise Goodman in Japan.
“And by the time I was looking back to the front I was already crashing into Mark’s rear end.”
In today's pre-event press conference at Shanghai, Webber – who had originally pinned the blame for the crash firmly on Vettel – also suggested that Hamilton had been accelerating and braking unexpectedly behind the safety car.
"It definitely contributed to Sebastian hitting me up the back that we were confused at what the other car was doing because he wasn’t doing what you are supposed to do," Webber said.
"I think he did a s*** job behind the safety car.
"He spoke in the drivers' briefing about how good a job he was going to do and then he did the job the opposite way – so we know for next time, it's no problem."
However after winning at Fuji, Hamilton said it had been necessary to brake sharply because of the braking material McLaren had been using – and suggested it was Webber whose driving had been erratic.
"We just needed to keep the heat in the brakes," he said.
"I was running quite a hard compound of brakes, so if I did light braking, I would have glazed the brakes.
"So I was making sure there was a little bit of a gap, maximising the gap that you're allowed and [using] it to my benefit.
"It was tough because Mark behind me was just too close, and all of a sudden he braked really hard and I don't know what happened – someone ran into him.
"I was constantly on the radio to my engineers to tell the Red Bull team to get Mark to make a little more of a gap because I couldn't go any faster because the pace car was in front of me.
"So I was trying to keep the distance with him and then I'd move over because I couldn't see Mark and then he'd just appear alongside me, so he kept outbraking himself.
"I felt something was going to happen, and I guess my instincts told me right."
#261
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well he has been doing that the entire race except at the restart where he played chicken with Alonso, i guess it makes sense. But still in that type of conditions you don't make that type of moments it throws everyone off.
#263
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#265
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Hamilton -
"I had a good weekend, I didn't put a foot wrong, I didn't do anything to put anyone else in danger," he told reporters.
"I've come away to China and all of a sudden I'm going to be punished for something.
"I just think it's a real shame for the sport, Formula One's supposed to be about hard, fair competition," he added. "That's what I've tried to do this year, just be fair.
"There's been some real strange situations this year where I'm made to look the bad person and, by the looks of it, this weekend be given a penalty.
"If this is the way it's going to keep going it's not somewhere I really want to be."
He may end up in CART if they don't stop their tampering.
"I had a good weekend, I didn't put a foot wrong, I didn't do anything to put anyone else in danger," he told reporters.
"I've come away to China and all of a sudden I'm going to be punished for something.
"I just think it's a real shame for the sport, Formula One's supposed to be about hard, fair competition," he added. "That's what I've tried to do this year, just be fair.
"There's been some real strange situations this year where I'm made to look the bad person and, by the looks of it, this weekend be given a penalty.
"If this is the way it's going to keep going it's not somewhere I really want to be."
He may end up in CART if they don't stop their tampering.
#266
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This Just In!
Wow! Alonso being a good sport? Maybe the pressure of not getting his 3rd championship has caused him a bit of PR trouble and a worse rep then he expected from the public ~ So, is this qoute sincere to the press in China this AM, or just damage control???
"I think he deserves it if he wins it in the end," Alonso added.
"I think you have to know how to win and how to lose, and if I don't win this year it's because someone has scored more points than me, and if that's the case it's because he has done a better job."
"I think he deserves it if he wins it in the end," Alonso added.
"I think you have to know how to win and how to lose, and if I don't win this year it's because someone has scored more points than me, and if that's the case it's because he has done a better job."
#267
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I can't stand him right now. I think he's lost a lot of credibility. He should be in a mid-field car next season and try to prove himself again. I would take Sutil over this guy right now.
#270
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Hamilton 'Beaches' It On Pit Lane!
After China it's a 3 way fight @ the final race ~ gonna be fun. Only seven points separate the top 3. Hamilton, Alonso, Kimi. Who's gonna get 'er done for 2008?
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