HUNGARY, Budapest -- Lewis Hamilton has called for clarification over yellow flag rules after Nico Rosberg set his pole position time under double-waved yellows at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Nearly four hours after qualifying finished, Rosberg was called to the stewards over an alleged failure to slow for yellow flags in the second sector of the lap that secured him pole position. Hamilton came across the same double-waved yellows before Rosberg and aborted his lap as he came across Fernando Alonso's spun McLaren at Turn 9.
By the time Rosberg came through, Alonso's car had moved and the double-waved yellows cleared just before he entered Turn 9. However, under the FIA's International Sporting Code, double-waved yellows require drivers to "reduce speed significantly, do not overtake, and be prepared to change direction or stop".
Speaking before the stewards investigation was announced, Hamilton said the subject needed clarification.
"Well yes, when it is a yellow flag it says that you have to be prepared to slow down or you have to slow down and lose some time," he said. "When it is a double yellow it says be prepared for a car or marshal on track because you don't know what is around the corner so you have to be prepared to stop, that is what it says.
"The clarification that is needed is... Nico only lost a tenth at the corner so if that is really what we are allowed to do in future for the likes of even if you lift when you approach a corner with due care if that is allowed on a double yellow, I thought that was the case in a single yellow, but on a double I thought you had to pay more caution to it. If it is only a tenth you have to lose that is now different for us drivers and we can approach it differently. But I'm sure not that is the safest approach.
"We've seen such incidents in the past. I seem to remember [Pastor] Maldonado nearly hitting a marshal at Monaco one time because he hadn't slowed down enough and there was a marshal on the track."
Hamilton said he was in no doubt that he had to lift off the throttle and abandon his lap when he encountered the double-waved yellows.
"Just more clarification would be good. For me there was no question I had to lift because Fernando was on track but perhaps for Nico I think Fernando had cleared but there were still flags. It is just a different scenario. Otherwise it is what it is and I will fight from where I am."
Rosberg was eventually allowed to keep pole after the stewards found he lifted sufficiently at Turn 8.