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The last lap of the Chinese GP doesn’t count

Due to a mistake by the marshals of the Grand Prix, who showed the chequered flag one lap early, the last lap doesn’t count in the final results.

It was already reported during the assumed last lap by Lewis Hamilton, who asked his team on the radio: “I just got the chequered flag?”.  He revealed later that he slowed his pace down when he saw the flag, but he continued because he didn’t see any mechanic in the pitwall.

 

The FIA regulation says in the article 43.2: “should for any reason the end of race signal be given before the leading car completes the scheduled number of laps, or the prescribed time has been completed, the race will be deemed to have finished when the leading car last crossed the Line before the signal was given”. Then, the race was finished in the 54thlap.

 

The only drivers that were affected by this mistake were Jules Bianchi and Kamui Kobayashi. The Japanese driver overtook Bianchi in the last lap, but due to this decision, the Frenchman finished ahead of him.