(Motorsport-Total.com) – The home Grand Prix in Silverstone started with a rare mistake for Lewis Hamilton, as the Ferrari driver received a five-second penalty for a jump start. After the race, the seven-time world champion himself puzzled over the cause.
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When asked what happened when the starting light went out, Hamilton said: “My hand just moved. I really don’t know why. I didn’t want that. I didn’t even tell my hand to move. But these things just happen.”
For Hamilton, the slip-up was unusual. The now 41-year-old Briton is considered a very experienced and good starter and almost never makes such mistakes. Possibly the special circumstances also played a role: after pole position in the sprint on Saturday and his first Ferrari win in Barcelona a few weeks earlier, Hamilton wanted to impress especially at his home race in front of the record crowd of a total of 564,000 spectators over the entire race weekend.
Vasseur: Sensors showed no movement
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur questioned after the race how clear the jump start actually was. “From the sensors, we don’t see that the car moved on the starting grid. But in the video footage, you can see the sticker on the tire move a little. But it’s not for me to judge whether that was a jump start or not.”
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Silverstone: Driver ratings by Marc Surer and the editorial team
When asked if he thought the race stewards’ decision was too harsh, Vasseur replied: “I think it is a bit harsh if the sensors show no movement. But I don’t want to comment on every decision, otherwise I would spend my whole life doing that.”
The incident was also discussed on German TV. Sky expert Ralf Schumacher reminded during the analysis of the British Grand Prix that Hamilton had already lost valuable time at the start of the race. “Not to forget the five seconds he messed up at the start. It was of course a minimal thing, but still. He is very experienced. That was not good either, he could perhaps have done a bit better there.”
The five-second penalty set Hamilton back early in the race and made his chances of a top result more difficult. Besides the Ferrari driver’s jump start, the race ending behind the safety car also sparked controversial discussions. Already at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, Hamilton and the race management will have the next opportunity to be back in the sporting spotlight.
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