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F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton in turmoil as F1 star hit with double FIA punishment

Lewis Hamilton’s difficult Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend has taken another turn, with Ferrari facing a significant performance deficit in Baku while the FIA continues to hand down penalties and reprimands following investigations.

The seven-time world champion entered the Azerbaijan weekend hoping Ferrari could recover some of the momentum it had shown earlier in the season. Instead, Friday exposed another difficult picture for Hamilton and the Italian team, with Ferrari struggling to match Mercedes for outright pace.

According to reports from Baku, Hamilton was more than a second away from George Russell’s benchmark during Friday running, highlighting the scale of Ferrari’s current challenge. �

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The situation became even more complicated when Hamilton was summoned to the stewards following an incident involving Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson during FP2.

Hamilton was running slowly while harvesting energy through the final sector when Lawson approached on a flying lap. The Racing Bulls driver was forced to lift and brake, prompting a furious reaction over team radio.

The FIA subsequently ruled that Hamilton had failed to follow the traffic-management instructions issued for the circuit. The stewards noted that Ferrari had warned Hamilton twice that Lawson was approaching, but Hamilton did not remain sufficiently far to the left through the relevant section. �

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Hamilton avoided a grid penalty, but he was given a driving reprimand.

Importantly, it was his second driving reprimand of the 2026 season. Under the regulations, a fifth reprimand for driving offences triggers an automatic 10-place grid penalty at the next race. That means Hamilton is not facing an immediate grid drop from this particular incident, but the reprimand adds to his disciplinary record. �

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The FIA drama did not end there.

Two further reprimands were announced following Friday’s running in Azerbaijan, but neither involved Hamilton. Williams driver Carlos Sainz was reprimanded for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags during FP3, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad was reprimanded for leaving the track without sufficient justification. �

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Sainz’s incident was particularly significant because the Spaniard was already carrying another reprimand from earlier in the season. Drivers who accumulate five driving reprimands receive an automatic 10-place grid penalty for the next race. �

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For Hamilton, however, the bigger concern may be what is happening on the circuit rather than inside the stewards’ room.

Ferrari’s pace in Baku has raised questions about whether the team can realistically challenge Mercedes and the other leading contenders over the weekend. The gap seen during practice underlines how difficult the Azerbaijan weekend could become if Ferrari cannot unlock additional performance from its package.

Hamilton has already experienced a turbulent 2026 campaign, including previous penalties and reprimands. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, for example, he received a three-place grid penalty after being judged to have impeded Oscar Piastri during qualifying. �

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He also received a reprimand at the British Grand Prix for failing to sufficiently slow for a yellow flag, meaning the Azerbaijan reprimand represents another addition to an already eventful disciplinary record. �

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Yet there is an important distinction surrounding the latest headlines.

Hamilton has not been hit with the double FIA punishment announced in Azerbaijan. The two Friday reprimands went to Sainz and Lindblad. Hamilton’s separate punishment was a single driving reprimand for impeding Lawson. �

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That distinction matters as Ferrari prepares for the Azerbaijan race.

Hamilton will now need to put the FIA controversy behind him and concentrate on extracting the maximum possible result from a Ferrari that appeared to be struggling for pace. With the Baku circuit offering little room for mistakes and the long straights placing a premium on efficiency and speed, Ferrari’s ability to improve its performance will be closely watched.

The FIA has also published the official Azerbaijan documentation, including the provisional starting grid and the various infringement decisions from the weekend. �

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For Hamilton, the immediate threat is therefore not a new grid penalty from the Lawson incident. Instead, the bigger story is the combination of Ferrari’s lack of pace, another FIA reprimand and the growing disciplinary tally that could become significant if further incidents occur later in the season.

And with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix still to come, the pressure on Hamilton and Ferrari remains firmly in the spotlight.