Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment for breaking Formula One's tyre rules in practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 22-year-old Briton, who is on the verge of becoming the first rookie champion in the history of the sport, and the youngest too, was investigated by the FIA race stewards for using two sets of intermediate tyres in a wet opening session.
Under Formula One rules, drivers are only allowed to use one set.
But, following lengthy discussions after the day's on-track action had finished, the stewards decided that while Hamilton had broken the rules, it was the McLaren team's fault and not his.
McLaren were therefore fined 15,000 Euros and Hamilton was not punished.
The Honda and Super Aguri teams were handed the same penalty after Jenson Button and Takuma Sato were found guilty of the same offence.
All three drivers will have to hand back the extra set of tyres used so that they cannot benefit from having a set of scrubbed inters for the rest of the weekend.
"To avoid the possibility that any of the three teams or their drivers could derive any benefit during the remainder of the event from having available to them part worn wet tyres, each team will forthwith voluntarily surrender those tyres to the FIA Technical Assistant," the stewards said.
Hamilton said that he was relieved the matter was now behind him and vowed to focus on qualifying and the race.
"It is an easy mistake to make," Hamilton said. "There are lots of rules and regulations. It was a silly, small mistake. The team is doing a fantastic job, we will keep on pushing and these things happen."
Hamilton will be crowned world champion if he finishes second in the Sao Paulo race, regardless of what his team-mate Fernando Alonso does. Kimi Raikkonen can also win the title, but has to win with Hamilton sixth and Alonso third in the race.
---Vocabulary---
punishment : 罰
break : 破る、違反する
steward : 管財人、執事、スチュワード
intermediate : 仲介人、中間、中型者、中間の、中級の
allow : -を許す、許可する
lengthy : 非常に長い、長期にわたる
while : -ではあるものの、-する間、-と同時に
fine : -に罰金を科する（他）、罰金（名）
hand : -を手渡す
guilty : 有罪の、罪の意識がある > guilt : 罪
offence : (=offense) 違反、攻撃
extra : 余分な、別の、追加の
scrub : -を磨き上げる、こする
inter : 中間物、中間対、中型者
derive : 引き出す、得る、導く
remainder : 残り、余り
worn : 擦り切れた、使い古しの
forthwith : すぐに
voluntarily : 自発的に、自主的に
surrender : 明け渡す、譲る、降伏する（自）
relieve : 軽便する、和らげる、解放する
vow : 誓い（名）、誓う（他）、約束する（他）
qualifying : 予選
silly : ばか、くだらない
fantastic : すばらしい
The 22-year-old Briton, who is on the verge of becoming the first rookie champion in the history of the sport, and the youngest too, was investigated by the FIA race stewards for using two sets of intermediate tyres in a wet opening session.
Under Formula One rules, drivers are only allowed to use one set.
But, following lengthy discussions after the day's on-track action had finished, the stewards decided that while Hamilton had broken the rules, it was the McLaren team's fault and not his.
McLaren were therefore fined 15,000 Euros and Hamilton was not punished.
The Honda and Super Aguri teams were handed the same penalty after Jenson Button and Takuma Sato were found guilty of the same offence.
All three drivers will have to hand back the extra set of tyres used so that they cannot benefit from having a set of scrubbed inters for the rest of the weekend.
"To avoid the possibility that any of the three teams or their drivers could derive any benefit during the remainder of the event from having available to them part worn wet tyres, each team will forthwith voluntarily surrender those tyres to the FIA Technical Assistant," the stewards said.
Hamilton said that he was relieved the matter was now behind him and vowed to focus on qualifying and the race.
"It is an easy mistake to make," Hamilton said. "There are lots of rules and regulations. It was a silly, small mistake. The team is doing a fantastic job, we will keep on pushing and these things happen."
Hamilton will be crowned world champion if he finishes second in the Sao Paulo race, regardless of what his team-mate Fernando Alonso does. Kimi Raikkonen can also win the title, but has to win with Hamilton sixth and Alonso third in the race.
---Vocabulary---
punishment : 罰
break : 破る、違反する
steward : 管財人、執事、スチュワード
intermediate : 仲介人、中間、中型者、中間の、中級の
allow : -を許す、許可する
lengthy : 非常に長い、長期にわたる
while : -ではあるものの、-する間、-と同時に
fine : -に罰金を科する（他）、罰金（名）
hand : -を手渡す
guilty : 有罪の、罪の意識がある > guilt : 罪
offence : (=offense) 違反、攻撃
extra : 余分な、別の、追加の
scrub : -を磨き上げる、こする
inter : 中間物、中間対、中型者
derive : 引き出す、得る、導く
remainder : 残り、余り
worn : 擦り切れた、使い古しの
forthwith : すぐに
voluntarily : 自発的に、自主的に
surrender : 明け渡す、譲る、降伏する（自）
relieve : 軽便する、和らげる、解放する
vow : 誓い（名）、誓う（他）、約束する（他）
qualifying : 予選
silly : ばか、くだらない
fantastic : すばらしい
