Ferrari instruction to Lewis Hamilton under scrutiny as FIA reach verdict
Lewis Hamilton escaped a penalty for a red flag infringement
Jenson Button says Lewis Hamilton found himself in a “tricky situation” in practice in Singapore when Riccardo Adami’s instructions saw the Ferrari driver investigated by the stewards.
After a long and extremely successful relationship with Pete Bonnington at Mercedes, Hamilton’s new partnership with his Ferrari race engineer Adami has been difficult at times, and extremely testy at others.
Lewis Hamilton was told ‘attack pit entry’
In Singapore on Saturday, it almost led directly to a grid penalty for the seven-time World Champion.
Laying down the laps in FP3, Liam Lawson brought out the red flags when he hit the barrier on the exit of Turn 7. A red flag means everyone, no matter where they are on the track, should slow down.
Adami told Hamilton, who was on his way into the pits: “You can attack pit entry.”
Hamilton was investigated by the stewards for a red flag infringement, but was cleared of wrongdoing as they ruled: “Regarding the pit lane entry, the car’s speed was marginally higher than that of other cars in comparable situations, but the driver maintained full car control at all times and did not drive in a manner that could be considered unsafe.
“While the Stewards consider that a greater reduction of speed would have been desirable under the circumstances, it is concluded that there is no evidence of a breach of the applicable regulations.”
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But according to Sky pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz, it was a 50-50 call as to whether Hamilton should’ve been penalised.
“Ollie Behrman got a 10-place grid penalty, although he crashed, for that red flag infraction in Silverstone,” Kravitz explained. “Lewis got a five-place for attacking the pit lane in Zandvoort.
“I’ve asked one team and the other, they say it’s 50-50.”
Turning to 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, Kravitz asked: “What are you supposed to do? Leaving out the fact that Lewis was told by his engineer, Ricardo Adami, to attack the pit entry, what are you meant to do under a red flag?”
The Briton, who was Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren for three years from 2010 to 2012, reckons his compatriot was in a “tricky” situation as while he knows the regulations, he was under order from the team.
“Slowing down is obviously the main one, because there’s marshals on track, it’s a red flag, there’s been a massive incident,” Button said.
“Obviously passing the incident, slow down, but also you’re supposed to stay at a slow speed the whole time around the lap.
“The reason is because there might be more than one incident, and attacking anything shouldn’t be happening.
“But for Lewis, it’s also tricky right?
“He sees the red light. He knows what he’s supposed to do, he’s been racing for long enough.
“But when you’re told something from your team, you kind of react to that as being right. They know what they’re doing because they the rules.”
Kravitz replied: “And he must think it was all right to do it.”
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