In The Driver's Seat

Blame the rule book, not the stewards

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So, are the Formula One authorities really out to "stop" Lewis Hamilton, as he rather rashly suggested in the aftermath of Sunday's Russian Grand Prix when the adrenaline was yet to drain away?

As the world knows, his teammate Valtteri Bottas finally had a weekend when everything went right, while Hamilton had one when little did. The Finn won, and after starting from pole position on the less suitable soft-compound Pirelli tyres after qualifying dramas not of his making, and as Bottas and Red Bull's Max Verstappen used the more durable mediums, he finished a disgruntled third after being handed two five-second penalties for making practice starts in the wrong part of the pit lane.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 29, 2020, with the headline Blame the rule book, not the stewards. Subscribe