After qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix , an irregularity was spotted by the FIA with Lewis Hamilton's car. It took some time for the stewards to come to a decision, but eventually they decided on a disqualification. The stewards have given their reasons for this.
Several tests have been done with Hamilton's W12 over the last twenty hours and the results show the following: "The car has failed the test and is therefore in breach," explained the stewards, referring to the failure to comply with Article 3.6.3 of the technical regulations.
No intentions involved
The statement goes on to say, "The Stewards agree with the Competitor that this is something gone wrong, rather than an intentional act or design but did not find there to be mitigating circumstances." Therefore, the FIA said it had no choice but to issue a disqualification.
According to Helmut Marko, Mercedes tried to cheat competitor Red Bull Racing by claiming that the incorrect measurements of the DRS were caused by Max Verstappen briefly touching the rear wing after qualifying. On this, the stewards said: "In summary, the Competitor of car 44 also agreed that it was unlikely that Verstappen's actions caused the fault, however they felt that it was an open question."
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Appeal Mercedes?
Mercedes can still appeal the decision, but it seems most likely that Hamilton will have to start the sprint race from last on Saturday night. On top of that, he will also receive a five-place grid penalty on Sunday for changing his internal combustion engine.
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Japanese Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
02:30 AM
Practice 2
06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
02:30 AM
Qualification
06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
05:00 AM
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
Fri 02:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
Sat 02:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
Sun 05:00 AM
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 51 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 47 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 34 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 33 | |
5 | HaasHAA | 17 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 15 | |
7 | AlpineALP | 9 | |
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9 | Racing BullsRCB | 8 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 4 |
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