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AUSTRALIAN GP

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Quali. 15 Mar 2025  05:00 - 06:00    |    Race 16 Mar 2025  04:00 - 06:00
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AUSTRALIAN GP

START RACE
Quali. 15 Mar 2025  05:00 - 06:00    |    Race 16 Mar 2025  04:00 - 06:00
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Hamilton Seat Bahrain GP F1 2024

Hamilton’s F1 Seat Issue Not a Breakage

07/03/2024

Mercedes clarifies Lewis Hamilton’s seat discomfort during the Bahrain GP was not due to breakage, amid safety concerns.

Mercedes F1 Track Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin disclosed that Lewis Hamilton’s racing seat was not broken during the Bahrain Grand Prix, despite the driver’s radio complaints.

The seven-time world champion did indeed feel an issue, as he raced with “one buttock higher than the other” for part of the event.

Upon closer inspection, there was no sign of breakage, although the anchorage points of his harness might have been too loose during the race.

“We obviously retrieved the car post-race, checked the seat immediately and it was fine,” Shovlin confirms today.

“Seats are designed to be removable because, in the event of an accident, the driver exits with the seat, and essentially, what keeps the seat in the car is the driver being strapped to it by the harness.”

“The only explanation we can think of is if Lewis was slightly mis-strapped, he might have moved a bit, and maybe the seat lifted, had a slight movement, and didn’t properly return to position, because looking at it afterwards, there’s no evidence of any breakage, of it being in the wrong position.”

“However, while it may be slightly uncomfortable for the driver if they’re not firmly rigid in the car, a seat failure doesn’t mean the driver can come detached.”

“A driver is always safe. But as I said, it seems to be something very subtle; there might have been a bit of movement, then it reset, and everything was fine for the rest of the race.”

Hamilton’s F1 Seat Issue Not a Breakage. Hamilton’s F1 Seat Issue Not a Breakage

F1 Standings 2025
F1 Standings 2025
#
Driver
Points
1
Driver Flag
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
0
2
Driver Flag
Lando Norris
McLaren
0
3
Driver Flag
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
0
4
Driver Flag
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
0
5
Driver Flag
Carlos Sainz
Williams
0
6
Driver Flag
George Russell
Mercedes
0
#
Team
Points
1
McLaren
Norris & Piastri
0
2
Ferrari
Leclerc & Hamilton
0
3
Red Bull
Verstappen & Lawson
0
4
Mercedes
Russell & Antonelli
0
5
Aston Martin
Alonso & Stroll
0
6
Alpine
Gasly & Doohan
0
F1 Calendar 2025
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race Date
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Australian
Albert Park
16 Mar
China Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International Circuit
23 Mar
Japan Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabian
Jeddah Street Circuit
20 Apr
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13 Mar - 16 Mar
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