Nov.13 - Lewis Hamilton's title hopes are hanging by a thread in Brazil.

Although quickest in qualifying ahead of Saturday's final sprint race of 2021, the seven time world champion will slide five places down the grid on Sunday due to an engine change.

"We have degradation of the engine and its power wasn't going to stop dropping until the end of the season," team boss Toto Wolff said.

"If we had kept the engine, we would not have been competitive in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi."

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was some four tenths slower, but will start from pole on Sunday.

"Naturally when they take a new engine they have more power for the weekend," said the Dutchman.

An even bigger headache for Mercedes than the engine change, however, was the FIA's investigation into Hamilton's unusually large DRS rear wing opening.

"In principle, they are doing the same thing we were accused of up until Baku," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said.

It was Red Bull's team manager Paul Monaghan who alerted the FIA to the problem one hour before qualifying, armed with paper and video evidence.

"We wanted to give Mercedes the chance to turn it off," a source at the energy drink owned team told Auto Motor und Sport.

Wolff hit back: "They should protest quietly. Nothing will come of it."

However, at the time of writing, it was believed the FIA was contemplating disqualification from qualifying and a mandatory pitlane start for Hamilton. A decision has been delayed until Saturday morning.

Either way, Red Bull is sounding relaxed.

"We always look a bit worse than Mercedes in the cold, but it should be warmer on Sunday," said Dr Helmut Marko.

"Our chances of winning the race are very high. The turbo on our Honda engines work better than the Mercedes. And this weekend we think only about winning."


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11 F1 Fan comments on “Hamilton's eighth F1 title hope hangs by thread now?

  1. JAIME SALINAS DE MOURA

    He´s a cheatter, and prottected by maFIA.
    10" of "penallty" 8 a ...prize !...), after considered guilty of throuing Max away, - and as a result, 0 pts to Max, and a "Victory", and more than ...25 pts to Hamilton....

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  2. JAIME SALINAS DE MOURA

    He´s a cheatter, and prottected by maFIA.
    10" of "penallty" 8 a ...prize !...), after considered guilty of throuing Max away, - and as a result, 0 pts to Max, and a "Victory", and more than ...25 pts to Hamilton....
    IT´S mY FRST COMMENTARY,IT´S NOT TRUE i´HVA ALREADY COMMENTED SO. AND IF I DID, IT WAS MANY TIME AGO, NOT IF THIS NEW....

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  3. JAIME SALINAS DE MOURA

    IT´S mM FRST COMMENTARY,IT´S NOT TRUE I´HAVE ALREADY COMMENTED SO. AND IF I DID, IT WAS MANY TIME AGO, NOT IF THIS NEW....
    He´s a cheatter, and prottected by maFIA.
    10" of "penallty" 8 a ...prize !...), after considered guilty of throuing Max away, - and as a result, 0 pts to Max, and a "Victory", and more than ...25 pts to Hamilton.

    1
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  4. JAIME SALINAS DE MOURA

    IT´S mM FRST COMMENTARY,IT´S NOT TRUE I´HAVE ALREADY COMMENTED SO. AND IF I DID, IT WAS MANY TIME AGO, NOT IF THIS NEW....
    He´s prottected by maFIA.
    10" of "penallty"...a ...prize !...), after considered guilty of throuing Max away, - and as a result, 0 pts to Max, and a "Victory", and more than ...25 pts to Hamilton.

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    • Linda

      Jaime, it obviously is true that it's not your 'first comment' as I have read it 4 times now. Did we watch the same race? You think the FIA in Interlagos this weekend was biased in LHs favour? Perhaps you need to watch the race again and see what Lewis had to overcome and what the FIA let Max get away with on Sunday.

  5. JAIME SALINAS DE MOURA

    HE DOESN´T DESERVE, - HAS NO ETHIC, - LOOK WHAT HE MADE TO MAX, AND TE "PENALTY" OF 10" AND A "VICTORY"...
    BUT WITH SECIAL TREATMENT AND PROTECTION....

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  6. guttersniper 33,10 and 11

    what goes round comes around .if the drs isnt compliant the FIA must be impartial and hit merc and shamilton hard,no pussy footing around make an example of them.

  7. Jax

    Sweet Jesus the snowflakes have already started to melt down before the verdict. I mean what the hell is that string of repetitive word salad above? 😂. Somebody call Sigmund Frued ASAP cas it's about to get more nutty if Merc gets off. Lol

  8. shroppyfly

    Hamilton- We win together and we lose together, oh yeah and we CHEAT together..........disq , lets see Tonto and Lewis put a positive spin on this one lol

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  9. Jere Jyrälä

    If Max gains at least three points more than him tomorrow, he could afford to finish 2nd in all Middle Eastern races with Hamilton taking maximum points & still winning the WDC through countback of having more race wins.

    • shroppyfly

      No counting chickens, using Totos words , one DNF and its back on , however i take your point, but wasn't it 2007 hamster led virtually all year and then messed it up at the end, RB wont let up, and that's where Merc making such a "Mistake" with a wing seems unbelievable .


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