Formula One news

FIA official: Italy loves me, the UK hates me

FIA official Surinder Thathi, one of the three race stewards at the Belgian Grand Prix who was responsible for Hamilton's penalty, has told local press in his home country Kenya the Italians love him, but people from the United Kingdom really hate him. "The British Press hates me but I can walk into any Italian restaurant - Italians love me," Kenyan motorsports official Surinder Thathi told the media.

Thathi said in Nairobi that there was no conspiracy against the McLaren team. "There was no conspiracy against anybody, McLaren included. We acted professionally and within the FIA rules. Hamilton took a short cut inside of the corner while off the track," he told Reuters.

He furthermore explained that Hamilton had to receive some kind of penalty for cutting the chicane. He explained: "We called Hamilton and Raikkonen, looked at the footage and agreed that the offence was punishable. The regulations say that there has to be a drive-through penalty.

"We had a choice to mete out a time penalty or 10 grid places in the next Grand Prix race. We opted for the former and handed a time penalty of 25 seconds. I know I am a very unpopular person in the United Kingdom now, but then I was doing my job and I know I acted professionally."

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