Why were Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and others summoned by stewards at 2022 F1 Dutch GP?

Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Lando Norris, and Carlos Sainz have reportedly been summoned for 'alleged breach of Article 37.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations' during the first practice session at the 2022 F1 Dutch Grand Prix on Friday.

Lewis Hamilton was under investigation for impeding Carlos Sainz, who was heard describing the incident as "very dangerous" on team radio. Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, has been summoned for impeding Lando Norris.

This regulation, as reported by the Express, states:

“Any driver taking part in any practice session who, in the opinion of the stewards, stops unnecessarily on the circuit or unnecessarily impedes another driver shall be subject to the penalties referred to in Article 37.4.”

As reported by PlanetF1, it was later confirmed by the stewards that "no further action" will be taken against either of the two drivers. The stewards stated:

“During the hearing, both drivers and team representatives recognised it is well understood impeding during free practice should be looked at in a more lenient way by the stewards unless it is a dangerous manoeuvre. Both drivers also highlighted the configuration of the track is propitious for impeding and that [Sainz] was not significantly impacted by the action. Therefore, the stewards decided to take no further action.”

Speaking to Sky Sports after the session, Lewis Hamilton explained the incident, claiming that he could not see in the mirrors and that his radio was not working. He said:

“Today I had really, really bad radio and then P1 I didn’t have any radio. So managing the gap just through your mirrors was really quite tough. That’s what I got pulled up for. Hopefully we’ll fix that overnight and we’ll do everything to stay out of trouble tomorrow.”

Both Mercedes set the fastest times in FP1, while Vettel came in at 15th. In the next session, the two Ferraris took the top two spots, with Lewis Hamilton setting the third fastest lap-time.

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Lewis Hamilton says the car is "in a much sweeter spot" ahead of 2022 F1 Dutch GP

Mercedes are still chasing their first race win of the 2022 season and have shown impressive pace this weekend at the F1 Dutch GP, with the team inching towards their one big goal of the season.

As reported by the BBC, Lewis Hamilton seemed rather optimistic ahead of the race in Zandvoort, saying:

“We’ve landed in a much sweeter spot with the car, being as it’s a much different track. It’s a work in progress. We are not that far behind, which is great to see. And the car doesn’t feel that bad. Just got to keep chipping away.”

His teammate George Russell also acknowledged that McLaren and Aston Martin seem to be particularly quick on this track, emphasizing that the two teams could potentially pose a threat to Mercedes in qualifying. He said:

“It is going to be close. McLaren are looking quick, even Aston Martin, and we still know qualifying is our weak point. The race will come towards us, our long-run pace is looking strong, but you have to be starting in the right position. If we start on row three it is going to be difficult to battle for first and second.”

Mercedes currently stand third in the constructors' standings with 316 points to their name.