F1: Rulebook decrees Hamilton`s crane lift illegal

[Rory Phoulorie]

Wednesday 25th July 2007

The debate about whether Lewis Hamilton should have been permitted to continue in the European GP after being lifted out of the gravel by a Nurburgring crane has taken a new - and apparently decisive twist - after a study of the rule-book.

The issue has dominated the P-F1 Mailbox and Forum since Sunday, with several readers outraged at the help afforded to the Englishman. However, while it was thought that Hamilton's good fortune was legal on the basis that a driver could seek assistance if he was deemed to be in a dangerous position, closer inspection of the 2007 F1 regulations - as requested by mailboxer Gareth Bouch from London - provides an entirely different conclusion.

To quote paragraph 6.1, Chapter III of appendix H from the FIA Formula One World Championship Regulations:

'If a car stops: If a car stops on the course, or leaves the track, the first duty of the course marshals in that sector is to take it to a place of safety.

'No driver has the right to refuse to allow his car to be taken off the track, he must do everything he can to help and obey the marshals' instructions. Once the car is in a place of safety the driver may, if the specific regulations of the event permit, work on it in order to re-start. In such cases other means, such as breakdown vehicles, cranes, etc. should not be brought into action until the driver has made it clear that he will not continue. [P-F1's bolding] It is desirable that the driver stays near his vehicle until the end of the race or at least informs the post chief how his car may be lifted, or towed back to the pits.'

Ultimately, the issue was academic as Hamilton finished out of the points despite being lifted back on the track, while the FIA continue to insist that the action was legal.

"We are extremely happy with what happened," spokesman Richards Woods told The Times. "He was in a dangerous spot - he kept his engine running and the quickest and easiest way, under the circumstances, to get him and the car out of the way was to get him back on the track and get him going again and, as far as we are concerned, that was fine."

However, in a separate twist, the newspaper claims that 'Lewis was at one point being told by the marshalls at Turn 1 to get out of his car and get himself to safety', and that, rather than heed the request, not only did he remain in the car but 'Lewis was gesturing to the marshalls to get the crane, organising people to his advantage.'


Planet-F1

[Rory Phoulorie]

Rain or no rain, I was quite surprised at how long Hamilton had his engine idling while in the gravel and that it didn't overheat.