DUBAI: Formula One stewards rejected on Friday a Mercedes request to review a decision not to penalize Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen for a Sao Paulo Grand Prix incident with Lewis Hamilton.
They said in a statement ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix that while Mercedes had presented new and relevant video evidence from Interlagos, it was not significant.
“The competitor’s position is that this new footage provides sufficient information for the stewards to come to an altogether different conclusion than they did previously,” they explained.
“However, the stewards determine that the footage shows nothing exceptional that is particularly different from the other angles that were available to them at the time, or that particularly changes their decision...”
To meet the conditions for a Right of Review under the sporting code, a team must present evidence that is significant, relevant, new and that was previously unavailable to the parties concerned.
Seven times world champion Hamilton won the race at Interlagos last Sunday to cut Verstappen’s overall lead to 14 points with three races remaining.
The pair went off track on lap 48 as Hamilton tried to pass and Verstappen defended aggressively in a move that the Briton’s Mercedes team felt should have drawn a time penalty for the Dutch youngster.
Had they done so retrospectively, Verstappen risked losing more points.
The stewards took note of the incident during the race but concluded, on the basis of the evidence they had, that no investigation was necessary.
They heard from Mercedes, who lead Red Bull in the constructors’ standings by 11 points, and Verstappen’s team at the Losail circuit on Thursday.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the decision was completely expected.
“We wanted to trigger discussion around it,” he told reporters. “I think that objective is achieved. We didn’t really think it would go any further.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said it was the right outcome.
“It would have opened Pandora’s box regarding a whole bunch of other incidents that happened at that race,” he said.
Motor racing-F1 stewards reject Mercedes request for review
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Motor racing-F1 stewards reject Mercedes request for review
- F1 stewards said ahead of Qatar Grand Prix that while Mercedes had presented new and relevant video evidence from Interlagos, it was not significant
- To meet the conditions for a Right of Review under the sporting code, a team must present evidence that is significant, relevant and new
Campaigners demand action after 4 Premier League players racially abused on ‘appalling weekend’
- Anti-discrimination campaigners have bemoaned an “appalling weekend” in the Premier League after four players were targeted with racial abuse on their social media accounts following games
- It said “this has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they’ve received on social media. But the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly”
LONDON: Anti-discrimination campaigners bemoaned an “appalling weekend” in the Premier League after four players were targeted with racial abuse on their social media accounts following games.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri shared images of racist messages they were sent privately over Instagram following their teams’ match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday that finished 1-1.
Wolverhampton striker Tolu Arokodare showed racially aggravated messages he received on Instagram after a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Sunday, during which he had a penalty saved.
Sunderland said its winger, Romaine Mundle, was also subjected to “vile online racist abuse” after his substitute appearance in a 3-1 home loss to Fulham.
Kick It Out, a British-based anti-discrimination charity, repeated its calls for platforms to do more to address the problem.
“This has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they’ve received on social media. But the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly,” the organization said.
“The message from them is loud and clear: action must follow. Players cannot be expected to tolerate this behavior, and nor should anyone else.”
The Premier League also condemned the abuse of the players.
“There are serious consequences for anybody found guilty of discrimination and we will offer our full support with their investigations,” the competition said. “Football is for everyone — there is no room for racism.”
The 22-year-old Mundle has since deleted his Instagram account, the Sunderland Echo newspaper reported.
The incidents came days after UEFA began an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the field by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.
