Lewis Hamilton avoided a second sporting penalty after the Belgian Formula 1 GP. After an investigation by the FIA stewards for an unsafe release from the pits, the British driver kept the fourth place earned at Spa-Francorchamps, while Ferrari was financially penalized for the incident.
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The episode occurred during the seven-time champion’s stop on lap twenty, under Virtual Safety Car conditions. Hamilton hit a team mechanic at low speed after the green light was prematurely given, at a moment when the professional was still working on adjusting the front wing.
Initially, there was a risk that the British driver would receive a time penalty, which could have changed his race result. The stewards’ guidelines for unsafe releases during a race normally provide for this type of sanction.
However, the final decision was different. Ferrari received a fine of approximately US$ 34,500, with about US$ 11,500 suspended, avoiding any direct impact on Hamilton’s final classification at the Belgian GP.
The stewards took into account the complex nature of the incident. At that moment, Hamilton was also serving a five-second penalty received for contact with George Russell on the first lap, which increased the operational complexity of the stop.
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The investigation concluded that the main responsibility was not the driver’s. According to the analysis, Hamilton reacted normally to the release signal, while the failure was related to a lack of effective communication within the team during the pit stop procedure.
Besides the fine, Ferrari will have to present a complete review of its pit stop procedures. The Italian team must also identify measures to prevent a similar situation from happening again in future rounds of the season.
With the decision, Hamilton preserves the points earned at Spa, ending a busy weekend that included car damage, a penalty for a racing incident, and a post-race investigation. Meanwhile, Ferrari leaves Belgium with the obligation to review its internal processes before the continuation of the championship.
