Lewis Hamilton has been issued a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix following an incident during qualifying. This penalty drops him from his initial second-place qualification to fifth on the starting grid. The decision promotes Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, and Oscar Piastri by one position each.
The incident occurred when Hamilton impeded Piastri during qualifying. Piastri was on a push lap, attempting to improve his time, when Hamilton, who had just completed his own fast lap, was on the racing line at a significantly reduced speed at Turn 1. Piastri was forced to take evasive action, running wide and aborting his lap, which ultimately left him in fifth place.
Hamilton acknowledged the situation after qualifying, stating he was unaware of Piastri’s approach. He mentioned that his team’s radio message regarding the approaching car came too late, and he could not see Piastri in his mirrors due to his car’s positioning on the track. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur took responsibility for the communication delay, indicating that the blame lay with the team rather than Hamilton.
The stewards reviewed video, telemetry, team radio, and in-car video evidence before determining that Hamilton had unnecessarily impeded Piastri. In accordance with FIA F1 Regulations and established penalty guidelines, a three-place grid penalty was imposed on Hamilton.
Grid Shuffle and Other Penalties
The penalties have significantly altered the starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lando Norris secured pole position, marking his first grand prix pole of the season. Following Hamilton’s penalty, Leclerc will now start second, Piastri third, and Max Verstappen fourth. Hamilton will begin the race from fifth place.
In a separate incident, Kimi Antonelli also received a three-place grid penalty. Antonelli, who initially qualified fourth, was penalized for not slowing sufficiently under single yellow flags after Verstappen spun at the final corner. This penalty moves Antonelli to seventh on the grid, behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell, who will start sixth. Verstappen’s error also affected Russell, who was forced to slow down.
Hamilton expressed disappointment with his performance during the final run, noting that he had a clean out-lap but experienced a snap into Turn 1, putting him behind by 0.15 seconds. He felt that the car had the potential for pole position, but he did not deliver on his final attempt. He also questioned the team’s strategy of sending him out first for the final timed lap in Q3.
Aston Martin’s Progress
Fernando Alonso achieved a notable breakthrough for Aston Martin during qualifying. The team debuted a virtually new car, and Alonso managed to progress out of the first session for the first time this season. He will start 16th, approximately 2.8 seconds off pole position, which represents a significant improvement in relative pace for the team.
Alonso conveyed optimism about the team’s understanding of the car’s weaknesses and viewed this as a positive initial step. He noted that previous updates earlier in the season had not been as effective. The veteran driver also mentioned a change in optimism within the factory regarding future developments.
The Hungaroring track surface presented challenges for all drivers, particularly in the final two corners, where Norris noted it was difficult to assess grip levels. The 70-lap race at the challenging Hungaroring is scheduled for Sunday.
Source: formula1.com
