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- Maybe if it was another driver... - Grosjean questions Hamilton reprieve
Maybe if it was another driver... - Grosjean questions Hamilton reprieve
Lewis Hamilton was afforded a let-off as he kept pole position for the British Grand Prix, despite getting in Romain Grosjean's way.
Romain Grosjean was "surprised" by the ruling that allowed Lewis Hamilton to retain pole position for the British Grand Prix after an incident in qualifying, and hinted it would have been a different verdict had it been another driver.
Grosjean's Haas team claimed Hamilton cost their man three tenths of a second as he made slow progress at the start of a flying lap, forcing the Frenchman to avoid him at the end of his own flying effort.
Hamilton was investigated after the session, but was allowed to keep his record-equalling fifth British GP pole position, which moves him one behind Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 68.
The stewards determined that Grosjean "may potentially have been affected by the presence [of Hamilton]" but "he was not impeded", but the former Renault man thinks a dangerous precedent has been set.
"Surprised by the wording 'the driver behind has not been impeded'," said Grosjean, who qualified 10th after an improvement on his time on his next lap.
"If losing 0.35-0.4 seconds in one corner is not being impeded, I am very surprised.
"I think it opens room for messy qualifying and the rules are pretty clear.
"And I know there is a world title going on at the front but we are in a position where we actually fight as hard as the boys at the front and I was impeded today.
"How can I put it? Maybe if it was another driver there would have been something.
"It does feel sometimes that there are two types of decision."
Hamilton apologised indirectly to Grosjean in his news conference, before his reprieve was confirmed.
"I was coming round to start the lap, I was - as we all do - trying to get space," Hamilton explained. "Behind me was one of the Force Indias who came by me, so no one was behind me.
"As I was about to get on the gas I saw a car in my mirror, I don't know if I got in the way. If I did I'm sorry, I had no indication from my team that anyone was coming."