FIA Confirms Major Disqualification for Two F1 Drivers After Azerbaijan GP Infringement…See details in comment

Reports claiming that the FIA has confirmed a “major disqualification for two F1 drivers after an Azerbaijan GP infringement” are inaccurate clickbait. No drivers have been disqualified from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.

The actual headlines from Baku center around Lewis Hamilton receiving an official driving reprimand following a high-speed near-miss with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson during Free Practice 2.

The Incident in Detail

During the second practice session at the Baku City Circuit, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was on an out-lap while Liam Lawson was completing a high-speed flying lap.

As Lawson approached the fast left-right section leading onto Baku’s massive start-finish straight (Turns 16 through 19), he came across Hamilton’s slow-moving car positioned directly on the racing line. Lawson was forced to take sudden evasive action, lifting off the throttle and braking to avoid a severe collision.

Lawson voiced his frustration immediately over team radio, labeling Hamilton’s positioning as “so dangerous.”

The FIA Stewards’ Investigation & Ruling

Following practice, both drivers and team representatives were summoned to meet with the FIA stewards.

While impeding during free practice typically results in an informal warning, the stewards decided to issue a formal Driving Reprimand to Hamilton due to the severe nature of the incident and high approach speeds.

Key Findings from the Decision:

* Failure to Follow Race Director Notes: The Race Director’s event instructions explicitly mandate that slow-moving or out-lap cars must stay to the extreme left between Turns 16 and 18 to leave space for cars on hot laps. Hamilton failed to stay on the designated side.

* Radio Warnings Received: Telemetry and radio logs showed Ferrari had warned Hamilton twice that Lawson was rapidly closing from behind.

* Severe Mitigation Considered: The stewards noted there was no intent to impede. Both drivers explained that managing hybrid battery energy harvesting under current power unit regulations creates significant speed differentials in Baku’s final sector, as cars completing laps exhaust their electrical energy deployment.

Hamilton Defends Positioning, Blames Engine Regulations

In the media pen following the stewards’ verdict, Hamilton defended himself while criticizing current power unit rules.

> “Naturally, it’s never an intention of any driver to get in the way of anybody. Basically, with the way that the rules are set, when you do an out lap and when you come around the last corner to start your lap, you have no ‘K’ – no battery deployment… The speed delta between a car harvesting and a car on a flyer is massive.”

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This incident marks Hamilton’s second reprimand of the 2026 season. Under FIA Sporting Regulations, if a driver accumulates five reprimands in a single season (with at least four being for driving infringements), it triggers an automatic 10-place grid penalty for the subsequent race.

Summary Table: Disqualification Misinformation vs. Reality

| Topic | Sensationalized Claim | Actual FIA Verdict |

|—|—|—|

| Action Taken | Two drivers disqualified from the event | Official Driving Reprimand issued to Lewis Hamilton |

| Drivers Involved | Unnamed / Multiple | Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) & Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) |

| Session | Race / Qualifying | Free Practice 2 (FP2) |

| Infringement | Major technical breach | Unnecessary impeding / Failure to follow Race Director notes |

| Current Penalty Status | Disqualification | 2nd Driving Reprimand of the 2026 season (No

grid penalty incurred) |