A Fake Finish

[Randy W]

Chinese Grand Prix Marred by Checkered-Flag Blunder

“That was very strange. I was thinking, Am I seeing things? I was coming across the line expecting to do another lap and all of a sudden I looked for a split second and I saw the flag,” Hamilton said after the race. “I did lose a second or so. I asked the team, they said no, so I just kept going.”

 

. . .

 

If the checkered flag is waved early, the end of the race is taken as the lap before it is shown, according to F1 regulations. That meant Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai ended after 54 laps rather than the intended 56 laps.

 

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