Mercedes has been summoned to appear before the FIA on Thursday following its request for a right of review of the incident at Turn 4 in Brazil.

The initial hearing is simply to determine if there is indeed the requirement of a right to review and would depend on Mercedes presenting "a significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned".

This, of course, refers to onboard video from both cars which wasn't available to the stewards at the time - during the race - they decreed that it was a racing incident and that therefore no investigation was necessary.

That footage was only made available two days after the race and ever since it was made public the debate has continued.

Looking ahead to this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, Toto Wolff described the Brazil weekend as a "triumph through adversity", the Austrian clearly referring to the numerous issues his team faced over the course of the Interlagos weekend.

Already on the back foot after Lewis Hamilton was handed a 5-place grid penalty for taking on a new ICE, the Briton was subsequently disqualified from the qualifying results as a result of a rear wing infraction which the German team vehemently denied.

However, a bravura performance saw Hamilton work his way up to fifth in Saturday's Sprint, and starting from tenth on Sunday he went on to win.

However, along the way he was involved in controversial incident on lap 48, when he and Max Verstappen went off at Turn 4. Though he subsequently passed the Red Bull driver for the lead, the taste of victory was soured, not only be everything that had gone before, but the failure to penalise the Dutch driver for what Hamilton and his team saw as a clear infringement.

To add salt in his wounds, Hamilton was subsequently fined for releasing his safety belts on his in-lap.

Clearly angered by the weekend's various events, speaking on Sunday, Wolff sent out a clear warning.

"I think we've just had many, many punches in the face this weekend with decisions that could have swung either side, against us or for us. When always the decisions swing against you, it's just something that I'm just angry about, and I will defend my team, my drivers to what comes.

"I've always been very diplomatic in how I discuss things," he added. "But diplomacy has ended today."

Wolff's decision to press ahead with the right to view demonstrates that his comments weren’t merely hot air born out of the weekend's frustration.

Mercedes is due to report to the FIA at 17:00 (local time) on Thursday.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Mad Matt, 18/11/2021 13:32

"@Mr Shark: According to another web site I read that the FIA have still got hold of the rear wing and that due to this Mercedes can't investigate how one side of it got the extra 2mm gap."

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2. Posted by Editor, 18/11/2021 12:08

"@ jcr

No

Today's hearing is to establish if Mercedes has the relevant new evidence that warrants a right of review."

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3. Posted by jcr, 18/11/2021 12:02

"Presumably Red Bull will be present as well ??"

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4. Posted by Great_white_shark, 17/11/2021 23:07

"@Lapps they didn't keep it. They gave it back all sealed up and Mercedes said they would keep it that way and the FIA are welcome to examine it again if they want. "

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5. Posted by Lapps, 17/11/2021 21:40

"Unless of course Mercedes have been summoned because the FIA have now had a good look at the rear wing they took off Lewis’ Car and kept!"

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Mercedes summoned to FIA hearing

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