While the F1 calendar might have moved on to the ongoing Mexican Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton has still not gotten over his disqualification at the US GP. Danica Patrick has recently joined forces with an F1 legend to hold the Mercedes driver accountable for his unlikely ‘blame game’.

Lewis Hamilton had a thriller United States Grand Prix as he finished second and grabbed valuable points for the championship position. However, his efforts went to waste as he and Charles Leclerc got disqualified from the race after a post-race floor and plank inspection. Hamilton has not shied away from blaming the sprint-race format and the COTA track layout. But as likable as he usually is, this time around, Danica Patrick and F1 icon Martin Brundle outed him for his ‘escapist behavior’.

Lewis Hamilton disqualification and backlash from F1 pundits

Hamilton has recently commented that his and Leclerc’s disqualification was unjust. Rather, the track layout and the race format were at fault as the FIA has not adjusted the rules and regulations properly, ever since the introduction of the format.

In a development that is unfortunate for Hamilton, Danica Patrick has now joined forces with F1 icon Martin Brundle, as they both believe Hamilton is in the wrong.

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The main talking point in this debate has been whether the plank under the F1 car being borderline illegal justifies a straight-up DSQ. That’s where Danica Patrick comes in. Just like Hamilton, she too did not shy away from expressing her opinion.

She stated to Sky F1, “You were illegal and you’re out of the race. It felt like Lewis was trying to sort of build a case and save a little bit of face in it. But at the end of the day, he said it doesn’t make a difference, but it does.”

She further added, while justifying the existence of the rule, “That’s why the rule is in place because lowering the car generally always makes it faster. It’s one of the most powerful tools to giving the car more grip so I think it does make a difference.”

Patrick was not the only one with this opinion, as F1 icon Martin Brundle sided with her. He stated, “I see it differently to Lewis, I must say, in that, we know with this current generation of cars that started in 2022, closer to the ground means quite a bit more performance,”

He further justified the need for this rule as he explained how F1 cars can benefit from even the smallest changes possible.“But if you’re a kilo underweight or a millimetre too wide with your wings, you get thrown out of the race, and that’s why those regulations are there. And those two cars were outside the regulations at the end of the Grand Prix.”

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Brundle’s and Patrick’s perspectives create an interesting debate amongst the F1 community. With the fans already divided on this issue, it’ll be interesting to see how Hamilton’s DSQ at the US GP affects his end-of-the-season finish. He certainly has one more sprint race weekend to deal with in Brazil. Still, it poses a question on the complex short-handed format of the sprint weekends.

Are sprints actually good for the sport?

Ever since its introduction in the 2021 F1 season, sprint has remained a heavily debated topic. While it does provide some thrilling racing before the main race, it takes some of the excitement away from the main race. Moreover, a sprint also takes away a chance from the junior drivers of the teams. Drivers often get the opportunity to drive in the FP1 or FP2.

With drivers like Max Verstappen not being a fan of this format, an important question arises whether the sprints are actually good for the sport.

The Mexican Grand Prix weekend has spiced up now, with Lewis Hamilton being blasted for his ‘escapist’ behavior. As Danica Patrick and Martin Brundle declare their stand on things, we still need to see whether the sprint format deserves a future or not.

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