JUST IN: FIA Delivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen Penalty Verdict After Dutch GP Rule Br… Read More 

The FIA has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and three other F1 stars will not be penalized despite breaching the International Sporting Code at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Saturday afternoon saw F1 Sprint action take place in Zandvoort, with Hamilton and Verstappen coming home in seventh and sixth respectively.

However, ahead of lights out, the FIA confirmed that Hamilton, Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda, Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas had breached Article 12.2.1.i of the International Sporting Code – Non-compliance with Race Director’s Event Note.

The FIA confirmed that all five drivers had stopped their cars before Safety Car Line 1 while driving to the grid ahead of the Sprint, which went against the race director’s competition notes.

Item 24 of the race director’s notes stated:

«”Article B5.2.4 of the FIA F1 regulations states that ‘Any F1 Car which does not complete a reconnaissance lap and reach the grid under its own power will not be permitted to start the TTCS from the grid’.

“In the context of this article the grid shall be considered to be the section of track starting from the front of marked grid box #1 and finishing at the Safety Car Line 1.”»

Hamilton, Verstappen and Others Escape Punishment at Dutch Grand Prix

Despite the drivers breaching the rules, the FIA confirmed that the race stewards decided Hamilton, Verstappen and the other drivers would not receive a penalty for their infringement.

Regarding Hamilton, the stewards wrote:

«”Car 44 [Hamilton] stopped before reaching Safety Car Line 1 and therefore did not reach the grid (as defined in item 24 of the Race Director’s Competition Notes) under its own power.

“However, as the end of the grid was extremely crowded when the car reached the grid, the Stewards determine that the driver acted appropriately and stopped the car in a safe spot as close as possible to the grid. Therefore no penalty is applied.”»

Identical verdicts were delivered for all five drivers, including Verstappen, with the stewards making their decisions after reviewing in-car video evidence.