SAO PAULO: Lewis Hamilton might have recorded a sensational victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday after fighting his way up from P10 on the grid, but after the race, a team representative from Mercedes was summoned to see the stewards over an alleged breach of the sporting code by Hamilton relating to his safety belts.
The issue is in relation to Article 4 of the sporting regs, which states: "Drivers must be properly restrained in their seat by safety belts in conformity with the technical regulations for the vehicle concerned, at all times during a competition when it is mobile on a circuit, pit lane, special stage or competition course."
Hamilton had stopped on track once he had crossed the line to grab a Brazilian flag from a marshal, before setting off again on his victory lap, and it appeared he may have loosened his belts in order to reach for the flag.
"After analysing the video footage, the stewards released their verdict, which was a 5,000 euros for Hamilton with an additional 20,000 euros which is suspended through the end of 2022," stated an official F1 release.
The official ruling states: "The driver of car 44, Lewis Hamilton, undid his seat belts on the in-lap at the end of the race. While the Stewards are sympathetic to the desire to celebrate, it is fundamentally unsafe to undo the seatbelts while the car is in motion. Slow speeds in these cars are very fast for an unrestrained occupant."
"Further, Formula 1 drivers set the example for junior categories. It is critical that junior category drivers learn the importance of using all the safety devices of the car at all times," it added.