Max Verstappen has been summoned to the stewards’ office in Sao Paulo in the wake of the investigation surrounding the rear wing and DRS of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
On Friday after qualifying, the stewards called representatives from Mercedes to their office to explain an alleged breach of the technical rules of car #44 as noted by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer.
In Bauer’s post-session check, it was noted that the gap between the two rear wing lower and upper planes exceeded the authorized maximum 85mm when DRS was open.
The same check was conducted on 13 other cars after qualifying but car #44 was the only one that was found not to be in conformity.
After a lengthy wait on Friday evening, the stewards opted to adjourn the investigation until Saturday morning as they awaited “further evidence that will not be available until the morning”.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, Verstappen was also placed under investigation over a potential breach of parc fermé rules.
In footage from an amateur video taken just after qualifying that was published on social media, Verstappen is seen touching his car’s rear wing in several areas and then walking over to Hamilton’s Mercedes and doing the same thing as if to compare the two cars’ wing elements.
Verstappen is facing an “alleged breach of Article 2.5.1 of the FIA International Sporting Code”.
Article 2.5.1 of the ISC states: “Inside the Parc Fermé, only the officials assigned may enter. No operation, checking, tuning or repair is allowed unless authorised by the same officials or by the applicable regulations.”
The end result is that both title contenders are at risk of a sanction from the FIA that could set back either driver or both for Saturday afternoon’s 24-lap Sprint Qualifying event that will determine the grid for Sunday’s race.
