Brigit Adongo
Before Lewis Hamilton’s significant record-breaking 101st grand prix win in Sao Paulo, the 36-year old was caught up in a difficult situation after his qualification victory was reversed, leading to a tenth place start in Sunday’s race.
FIA technical delegate, Jo Bauer, during inspection, found the defending champion guilty of commanding the adjustable rear wing past the acceptable limit of 85mm, which in turn might have accorded him a speed advantage over other drivers.
Concerning Hamilton’s disqualification, the Mercedes team boss revealed that they would have appealed to show how faulty the F1 system is. The team thought against it, however, to avoid repercussions afterward, mostly regarding points in case the appeal failed.
Wolff seemed to think that the racing rules were too strict, but then those concerned had to swallow the bitter pill to avoid various problems. “…but it is all to the dot within the regulations, so you need to respect it…and take it on the chin.
Despite their desire to re-examine the seven-time world champion’s disqualification and show the system’s weaknesses, Toto said, “we didn’t because we didn’t want to lose all points in the case of a failed appeal…it would drag the whole decision, for a few weeks, out.”
Perhaps they (Mercedes) made the right choice, as not only did they not endanger the team and driver’s points, but Hamilton fought against all odds and clinched an important win, closing the gap to first place by a few points.
