04/12/2021
NEWS STORY
Lewis Hamilton has been reprimanded and his team fined over the incident in FP3 involving Nikita Mazepin.
Along with the world champion and a Mercedes team representative, the Jeddah stewards examined video and team radio evidence.
Hamilton was given a 10 second warning that Mazepin was approaching when he was at Turn 2.
However, due to a failure in communication by the team he was not given another warning until the Haas driver was alongside him in Turn 8.
While the stewards accept that this circuit presents challenges for drivers in relation to using their mirrors as the method of determining the approach of overtaking cars, it is the driver’s ultimate responsibility to avoid impeding, for this circuit the driver must depend upon the team to communicate efficiently.
This did not happen in this case and accordingly the penalty for the competitor is imposed.
The stewards took the opportunity to emphasise that due to the nature of this circuit it is essential that teams communicate effectively and proactively with their drivers. Though this is not to be taken as a precedent for other circuits.
Hamilton was given a reprimand, his second of the season, while Mercedes was fined €25,000.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Jeddah, here.