Lewis Hamilton Faces three-places FIA Penalty After Dramatic… see details
Lewis Hamilton’s impressive qualifying performance for the Hungarian Grand Prix has come under threat after the Ferrari driver was investigated for allegedly impeding Oscar Piastri during the final phase of qualifying.
Hamilton delivered a strong lap to secure second place on the grid at the Hungaroring, putting himself in an excellent position for Sunday’s race. However, shortly after the session ended, the FIA race stewards placed the seven-time world champion under investigation following an incident involving McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.
The moment occurred during Q3 as Hamilton completed his flying lap. After crossing the line, he slowed his Ferrari while approaching Turn 1, unaware that Piastri was beginning one of his final qualifying laps at full speed. The McLaren driver was forced to react as he caught up with Hamilton, leading to concerns that his attempt had been compromised.
Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton admitted he immediately began worrying that he might have unintentionally blocked another driver. Although pleased with Ferrari’s pace throughout the session, the British driver revealed that the possible incident was on his mind more than his own result.
Hamilton explained that he had not realized another car was approaching so quickly and was trying to remember exactly what had happened after completing his lap. He suggested that if he had indeed interfered with Piastri, it had been completely unintentional.
The incident quickly became one of the biggest talking points of qualifying, with Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle predicting that Hamilton was likely to receive a penalty. Brundle argued that the replay showed a clear case of impeding and believed the standard punishment would be a three-place grid drop.
According to Brundle, the incident did not appear to be dangerous or deliberate, making a three-place penalty the most probable outcome under FIA regulations. If that decision is handed down, Hamilton would lose his front-row starting position and begin the race from fifth instead.
Such a setback would significantly affect Ferrari’s race strategy while also promoting several rivals up the grid. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who qualified fourth, would move up one position if Hamilton receives the expected penalty, strengthening his chances of extending his lead in the standings.
Hamilton currently trails Antonelli by 45 points in the championship and is eager to reduce that gap over the second half of the season. Starting further back on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult would make that task considerably more challenging.
Piastri also shared his frustration after qualifying, saying the incident prevented him from completing the lap he had hoped for. The McLaren driver suggested Hamilton simply failed to notice him approaching and believed that was the reason for the obstruction.
Despite the disappointment, Piastri remained confident about McLaren’s pace, noting that the car had shown strong speed throughout the weekend even if he had struggled to put everything together during qualifying.
As the FIA reviewed the incident, Hamilton’s strong qualifying effort remained under serious threat. The stewards’ final decision was expected to determine whether the Ferrari star would keep his front-row start or face a costly grid penalty ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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