0
Lewis Hamilton has raised concerns directly with the FIA over the string of penalties he received across recent race weekends, arguing that several punishments were inconsistent with past rulings and, in at least one case, unnecessary. The seven-time champion admitted frustration after a run of infractions cost him valuable points, though he accepted responsibility for some incidents while contesting the rationale behind others.
Hamilton's latest penalty came in Hungary, where he was handed a grid drop for impeding Oscar Piastri during qualifying and then received a time penalty in the race for exceeding the pit lane speed limit. Those sanctions followed punishments at Silverstone, where he jumped the start, and at Spa, where he collided with Mercedes teammate George Russell. The accumulation has left Hamilton visibly exasperated, and he used the post-race media sessions in Budapest to air his grievances.
The Silverstone jump start debate
Hamilton was willing to own the Silverstone infringement, but said the drivers' briefing had exposed flaws in how such violations are judged. "In the past there were drivers who moved but were not penalised," Hamilton told international media. "We discussed that as long as you don't move while the lights are still on, you shouldn't be penalised, because I wasn't out of my box. And they agreed with that." His point was procedural: if the car remains in its grid slot when the lights go out, movement beforehand ought not to trigger a penalty. The stewards ruled otherwise.
Spa collision contested
Hamilton was more pointed about the collision with Russell in Belgium. "The driver I crashed with even said it was a racing incident," he said, sighing. "They still handed out a penalty that wasn't necessary, and that cost me a lot of points." Russell had indeed declined to blame Hamilton publicly after the first-lap tangle, which makes the subsequent time penalty all the more galling from Hamilton's perspective. The inconsistency he flagged centres on whether stewards apply the same standard across similar incidents, particularly when the affected driver himself deems no one at fault.
Hungary: a communication breakdown
On the Piastri impeding incident and resulting grid penalty in Hungary, Hamilton was more contrite. "I take responsibility for that. I should have looked in my mirrors, but I thought everyone was on their final lap, and there was a miscommunication," he explained. The pit lane speeding penalty in the race compounded a difficult weekend, though Hamilton did not contest that infraction. What emerges from his remarks is less a blanket rejection of sanctions and more a plea for clarity and consistency, particularly when the regulations themselves appear open to interpretation or selectively enforced.
Hamilton's willingness to challenge the FIA publicly reflects both his experience and his current standing within the sport. With his move to Ferrari confirmed for 2025, he has less to lose politically within the Mercedes garage and more reason to shape how rules are applied while he remains one of the grid's most influential voices. Whether the stewards adjust their approach remains to be seen, but Hamilton has made clear he will not accept penalties in silence whn he believes the process is flawed.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
67 members have this team as their favourite
Replies (0)
Login to reply