Just in:Hamilton Handed Late FIA Punishment At Azerbaijan Gp after a dramatic… see details 

Hamilton Handed Late FIA Punishment At Azerbaijan Gp after a dramatic… see details 

Lewis Hamilton has been hit with a late FIA punishment at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after the Ferrari driver was found to have impeded Racing Bulls star Liam Lawson during second practice in Baku.

Hamilton was summoned by the stewards following an incident in which Lawson, travelling on a fast qualifying-style lap, rapidly closed in on the seven-time world champion through the final sector of the Baku City Circuit.

The incident immediately attracted attention because Lawson was forced to lift and brake as he approached Hamilton. Over team radio, the Racing Bulls driver expressed his frustration and described the situation as dangerous.

The FIA subsequently investigated Hamilton and determined that the Ferrari driver had failed to follow the traffic-management instructions issued for the final section of the circuit. According to the stewards, Hamilton had been warned twice by Ferrari that Lawson was approaching on a flying lap.

Drivers completing an out-lap or travelling slowly in that part of the circuit were instructed to remain towards the extreme left between Turns 16 and 18. However, Hamilton remained on the racing line approaching Turn 19 while Lawson was closing rapidly from behind.

The stewards concluded that Hamilton had unnecessarily impeded Lawson and that the incident was serious because of the high-speed nature of the section.

However, Hamilton avoided the more severe punishment that could have affected his starting position. Instead of receiving a grid penalty, he was handed a driving reprimand, meaning he did not lose any places on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix grid as a direct result of the incident.

The FIA also considered the unusual characteristics of the 2026 cars when reaching its decision. Both Hamilton and Lawson explained that energy management was creating a significant difference in speed between cars approaching the final corners.

Hamilton had been harvesting electrical energy through the final sector, while Lawson was pushing on a fast lap. The difference in speed made it difficult for Hamilton to judge the gap correctly.

Hamilton later explained that he believed he had enough space between himself and Lawson before the Ferrari suddenly lost electrical deployment as he approached the corner. The circumstances were taken into account by the stewards, although they still ruled that Hamilton had failed to follow the instructions given to him.

The reprimand is Hamilton’s second of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Under the sporting regulations, drivers can receive several reprimands before an automatic grid penalty is triggered, meaning the Ferrari driver must avoid accumulating further offences.

Despite the controversy, Hamilton was able to continue his Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend without a grid drop from the Lawson incident.

The Ferrari driver ultimately finished the race in sixth position, 22.382 seconds behind winner George Russell, collecting eight championship points. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, while Kimi Antonelli took fifth.

The incident nevertheless adds another chapter to Hamilton’s increasingly eventful 2026 campaign, with the Ferrari star once again coming under scrutiny from the FIA stewards.

For Hamilton, the key outcome was that the punishment did not alter his race starting position. However, the reprimand serves as another warning as the championship enters its later stages and every FIA decision could become increasingly significant.