| At the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix, McLaren's Lewis | | | | a default in the gearbox that selected neutral for |
| Hamilton had the chance to become the first | | | | a period of time. It was not as a result of Lewis |
| rookie to win the drivers' championship. A poor | | | | pressing an incorrect button on his steering wheel." |
| start and a gearbox problem though left him just | | | | Even team CEO Martin Whitmarsh confirmed that |
| one point shy of accomplishing the feat. Ferrari's | | | | there is no way that Hamilton could have had |
| Kimi Raikkonen showed poise under pressure and | | | | caused the transmission malfunction. "It was a |
| went on to become the world champion even as | | | | gearbox problem, and it went into forced-neutral |
| he went into the race sitting on third place. | | | | and changing down seemed to rectify it - it might |
| The controversy of the recently-concluded | | | | be mechanical, but we doubt it," said Whitmarsh. |
| Formula One season though still continues with | | | | The problem with Hamilton's MP4-22 is only one |
| reports that Hamilton caused the error which saw | | | | of the few instances that the car showed signs |
| him relegated to 16th place on lap eight of the | | | | of unreliability. McLaren uses engines from |
| season finale. A Canadian publication La Presse | | | | Mercedes-Benz and other racing parts as durable |
| reported that the young rookie inadvertently | | | | as Mercedes 260E radiators. |
| switched off his car on lap eight. Said newspaper | | | | "If it was something mechanical, they usually don't |
| claims that Hamilton was quoted as saying: "My | | | | fix themselves. It could be electronics software - |
| finger slipped on the steering wheel and I | | | | but there's no evidence in the analysis to support |
| accidentally pressed the button used for the | | | | that. Could be a sensor - but again, there's no |
| starting sequence. The car went into neutral and I | | | | evidence in the data recordings," continued |
| had to reinitialize the system, that is, reload the | | | | Whitmarsh. "So it would appear that the barrels |
| gearbox management program." | | | | that change gear went out of control - and out of |
| This report though is said to be erroneous as | | | | control of the driver - and that's probably |
| Autosport reported that a source close to | | | | hydraulic." |
| Hamilton denied that the rookie driver even spoke | | | | "That could be either a very small Moog servo |
| to the Canadian newspaper. McLaren also denied | | | | control valves that were interfered with by a tiny |
| that Hamilton has caused his car to stall on that | | | | piece of debris or they are sensitive to magnetic |
| fateful race. Autosport reported that a McLaren | | | | interference - something generated a magnetic |
| spokesperson said: "We can confirm that the | | | | field which caused the valve to misbehave," |
| temporary gear shifting problem Lewis suffered | | | | concluded Whitmarsh. |
| on lap eight of the Brazilian Grand Prix was due to | | | | |