Mercedes respond as F1 chiefs rule on Red Bull’s Lewis Hamilton penalty protest | F1 | Sport
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Formula 1 stewards have rejected Red Bull’s request to look into Lewis Hamilton’s British Grand Prix penalty. Red Bull officials were left seething after Hamilton received just a ten second penalty for crashing into Max Verstappen. Mercedes have responded swiftly to the F1 statement, and didn’t mince their words.
Mercedes have called for Red Bull to stop attempting to “tarnish the good name and sporting integrity” of Hamilton, who crashed into Verstappen on the opening lap of the race.
Their statement read: “In addition to bringing this incident to a close, we hope that this decision will mark the end of a concerted attempt by the senior management of Red Bull Racing to tarnish the good name and sporting integrity of Lewis Hamilton, including the documents submitted for their unsuccessful right of review.
“We now look forward to going racing this weekend and to continuing our hard-fought competition for the 2021 Formula One World Championship.”
Hamilton’s ten-second penalty will stand, and the Mercedes driver will receive no further punishment for his part in the crash.
Verstappen, the world championship leader, was sent crashing into the wall after colliding with Hamilton, and later ended up in hospital.
Red Bull officials were left enraged, with team principal Christian Horner among those calling for Hamilton to receive a harsher punishment.
However, despite Red Bull launching an appeal, Formula 1 stewards have dismissed the petition.
It has been confirmed that the decision was made due to there being no “significant and relevant new element” to the appeal.
Verstappen’s lead was cut from 33 points to eight after Hamilton romped to victory at Silverstone.
Speaking at Thursday’s press conference to preview this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen insisted he felt the Brit got off too easily.
“I don’t think the penalty was correct,” he said.
“Because basically you take out your main rival, and especially with the speed we have in our cars, we’re miles ahead of, let’s say, the third best team.
“We are easily 40-50 seconds ahead in normal conditions, so a 10-second penalty doesn’t do anything.
“So definitely that penalty should have been more severe.”
Judges ruled that Hamilton wasn’t completely at fault, choosing instead to lay some blame at Verstappen’s door.
And the Red Bull star was left fuming at that decision, claiming there was nothing else he could have done.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong there,” he said. “Like I said, we were racing hard, and of course that corner is very fast, but I don’t know how I had a percentage in that fault.
“What do they expect, me to just completely run off the track and then just keep my position? Probably then they will tell you that you can’t run off the track so from my side, a bit surprised that there is a little bit of a percentage in there.”
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