Hamilton Penalised After Piastri Impeding Incident
Lewis Hamilton received a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix after stewards ruled he impeded Oscar Piastri during the final phase of qualifying. The seven-time champion was travelling at reduced speed on the main straight and failed to move off the racing line as the McLaren driver approached on a flying lap.
Ferrari Admits Communication Error
Ferrari confirmed it had alerted Hamilton to Piastri’s arrival but acknowledged the instruction came too late for the British driver to react. The penalty drops Hamilton from second on the grid to fifth for Sunday’s race.
While most observers agreed the sanction was warranted, a wave of sympathy emerged online for the 41-year-old. “Lewis can’t catch a break lately,” one fan wrote, while another added that a strong opening lap could still put Hamilton in contention for victory.
Others pointed to a lose-lose scenario, highlighting Piastri’s own recent run of misfortune alongside Hamilton’s dropped positions. One comment referenced race engineer Carlo Santi’s consistent gap updates throughout the session before the critical late miss.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was also handed a three-place penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags, adding further disruption to the revised starting order.