ROSBERG PENALTY
F
ormula 1 championship leader Nico Rosberg had
his advantage over Mercedes team mate Lewis
Hamilton cut to one point after the German was
demoted from second to third in the British Grand Prix.
Race stewards imposed a 10-second penalty
on Rosberg for receiving help from his team via
radio transmissions late in the race, in breach of the
regulations. Mercedes said shortly after that they will
appeal the time penalty.
On lap 48 0f 52 the conversation between Rosberg
and his engineer was as follows:
• Rosberg: “Gearbox problem.”
• Engineer: “Driver default 1-0-1. Chassis default 0-1,
chassis default 0-1. Avoid seventh gear Nico, avoid
seventh.”
• Rosberg: “So what does that mean, I have to shift
through it?”
• Engineer: “Affirm Nico, you need to shift through it.”
Rosberg had finished the race 1.3 seconds ahead
of Red Bull’s Dutch teenager Max Verstappen. Hamilton
won the race to bag maximum points.
The statement from the stewards read: “Having
considered the matter extensively, the Stewards
determined that the team gave some instructions to the
driver that were specifically permitted under Technical
Directive 014-16.”
“However, the Stewards determined that the team
then went further and gave instructions to the driver that
were not permitted under the Technical Directive, and
were in Breach of Art. 27.1 of the Sporting Regulations,
that the driver must drive the car alone and unaided.”
Rosberg’s demotion means that team mate Lewis
Hamilton trails the German by a mere point in the
drivers’ standings – they have 168 points and 167
points respectively.