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Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen Earn Deserved Privilege While Another F1 Driver May Face the Consequences of Rash Driving

Published 02/19/2023, 7:45 AM EST

There is a peculiar rule in Formula 1 that keeps a tab on the Karmic balance of the drivers. A rule brought about in 2014 states that drivers can be banned for a race if there are 12 penalty points in their tally over the course of a single year. Max Verstappen and his arch-rival Lewis Hamilton, who have two and zero points respectively, seem safe from the punishment for now. However, on the other side of that spectrum is Pierre Gasly.

The newly inducted Alpine driver is at the highest risk to be handed a race ban this year. He has accumulated 9 penalty points so far, the latest ones coming in at last year’s US Grand Prix. He picked 4 points for infringements during a safety car deployment on two occasions last year. The rule which runs the driver’s balance for a year will only relieve Pierre Gasly around May 2023. The Frenchman finds himself in an embarrassing situation because of the same.

As quoted by express.co.uk, Gasly said, “I’m not going to lie. It’s a very unpleasant situation and quite delicate.”

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He further added, “In some ways, also a bit embarrassing to be standing in a position where I could be banned. After the season that I’ve done, I don’t really feel like I’ve been particularly dangerous over these last 12 months, and that will be definitely a harsh penalty.”

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While Hamilton is safe from one penalty, he could be headed for another one.

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Post the reveal of W14, Hamilton went on to reveal something even more personal, his helmet. The lid reveals already had fans overwhelmed with emotion but what stood out the most was Hamilton highlighting that the headgear has “Rainbow accents”. This could now land the Britton in trouble because FIA was very specific in their free speech gag.

As quoted by the Mirror, the FIA made it clear, “Anything critical of or hostile to others’ religious or spiritual beliefs” would be against the rule. That implies that a driver might be punished if, for example, they were to wear a rainbow t-shirt or race helmet on a Grand Prix weekend, without permission, as criticism of a country’s lack of LGBT+ rights.”

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Between Hamilton and Gasly, who do you think will face a ban first due to their respective overreach or infringement?

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Written by:

Anmol is an F1 writer at Essentially Sports. She is a Law graduate from National Law University, Lucknow, and currently pursuing PGD in Journalism and Mass Communication from Symbiosis. Being a Rallyist herself she began watching F1, the apex of motorsports, and eventually fell in love with the sport.

Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai

Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen Earn Deserved Privilege While Another F1 Driver May Face the Consequences of Rash Driving

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