© Sam Bloxham for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
The FIA has announced it will launch a review of Lewis Hamilton‘s ‘crossing the track’ incident and subsequent punishment at the Qatar Grand Prix, as they believe it is more serious than previously thought.
After colliding with George Russell on Lap 1 of the Qatar Grand Prix, and ending up in the gravel trap, Lewis Hamilton crossed the circuit to make his way back to the pits.
Crossing the track while race is going on is a breach of the regulations, so after the race Lewis was fined 50,000 euros, of which 25,000 was suspended until the end of the season.
However, the FIA has now decided to launch a review into the situation and the subsequent punishment, as they believe it was more serious than previously thought.
“The FIA is revisiting the incident in which Lewis Hamilton crossed a live track during the Qatar Grand Prix,“ the FIA’s statement reads.
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“The FIA notes that Lewis was apologetic during the subsequent stewards hearing in to the incident and acknowledged that the crossing was a serious safety breach.
“However, in view of his role model status, the FIA is concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers,” the statement concludes.
It is believed that the review will not result in an increased sanction for Hamilton, but is actually aimed at setting a precedent for similar infringements in the future.
