Final decision:FIA confirmed Late penalty  on Hamilton at Spanish Gp after … see details 

FIA confirmed Late penalty  on Hamilton at Spanish Gp after … see details 

Lewis Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix weekend was thrown into further drama after the Ferrari driver crashed during final practice at the new Madring circuit in Madrid, with the FIA later delivering its verdict on the controversial incident.

Hamilton had been enjoying a competitive session before losing control of his Ferrari at the final corner. The seven-time world champion locked up and went into the barriers, damaging the front wing of his SF-26 and forcing the session to be stopped under a red flag.

However, the crash itself was only part of the controversy.

After making contact with the barriers, Hamilton managed to reverse his Ferrari away and attempted to continue around the circuit despite significant damage to the car. His front wing had been damaged and was reportedly trapped underneath the Ferrari as he tried to make his way back.

Ferrari immediately warned Hamilton over team radio to stop the car. Despite those instructions, the British driver continued for part of the lap before eventually being ordered to halt. The situation attracted attention because continuing to drive a badly damaged Formula 1 car can potentially create a danger for the driver and other competitors.

There was therefore growing speculation that Hamilton could face a late FIA penalty following the incident.

The controversy also brought comparisons with previous cases in which drivers have been punished for continuing to drive damaged cars. As a result, some observers expected the stewards to take action against the Ferrari driver.

However, the latest FIA information does not show Hamilton receiving a penalty for the crash or for continuing to drive after the incident. Instead, the available reports indicate that Hamilton was not formally punished over the episode.

That means Hamilton avoided what could have been another setback before qualifying, particularly after an already difficult end to final practice.

Despite the crash, Hamilton managed to recover strongly and participate in qualifying later in the day. The Ferrari driver eventually secured fourth place on the starting grid, putting him directly behind Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen.

The result was particularly impressive considering Hamilton had damaged his Ferrari only hours earlier.

Norris eventually took pole position after producing a stunning final lap, beating championship leader Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds. Verstappen qualified third, while Hamilton completed the second row in fourth place.

For Hamilton, avoiding an additional FIA sanction could prove important ahead of Sunday’s race. The new Madrid circuit has already demonstrated how unforgiving it can be, with Hamilton and Haas driver Oliver Bearman both crashing during final practice.

Hamilton will now turn his attention to the race, where he will attempt to convert his fourth-place starting position into another strong result for Ferrari.

While the crash created plenty of controversy and raised the possibility of a late FIA punishment, the final outcome is clear: Hamilton escaped a penalty over the incident and remains in contention for a strong result at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring.