Hamilton hit with fine for loosening his safety belts after Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton sealed a sensational victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday after fighting his way up from P10 on the grid - but after the race a team representative from Mercedes was summoned to see the stewards over an alleged breach of the sporting code by Hamilton relating to his safety belts.

The issue is in relation to Article 4 of the sporting regs, which states: "Drivers must be properly restrained in their seat by safety belts in conformity with the technical regulations for the vehicle concerned, at all times during a competition when it is mobile on a circuit, pit lane, special stage or competition course."

RACE REPORT: Hamilton takes victory in Brazil after stunning drive from P10 and pass on Verstappen

In the video above you can see Hamilton stop on track once he'd crossed the line to grab a Brazilian flag from a marshal, before setting off again on his victory lap, and it appears he may have loosened his belts in order to reach for the flag.

Mercedes Sporting Director Ron Meadows was summoned to the stewards office at 5pm local time in Brazil.

UPDATE

Just before 5.30pm local time the stewards released their verdict, which was a €5,000 for Hamilton with an additional €20,000 which is suspended through the end of 2022.

The ruling said: "The driver of car 44, Lewis Hamilton, undid his seat belts on the in-lap at the end of the race.

"While the Stewards are sympathetic to the desire to celebrate, it is fundamentally unsafe to undo the seatbelts while the car is in motion. Slow speeds in these cars are very fast for an unrestrained occupant.

"Further, Formula 1 drivers set the example for junior categories. It is critical that junior category drivers learn the importance of using all the safety devices of the car at all times."

It means Hamilton's result in Brazil is unaffected, and his win stands.