Lewis Hamilton has been demoted three places on the grid for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix after stewards ruled he impeded Oscar Piastri during the closing stages of qualifying.
The Ferrari driver, who had originally secured second position behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, will now line up fifth for the race at the Hungaroring.
Norris retains pole after pipping Hamilton by a mere 0.012 seconds on the final Q3 runs, with the seven-time world champion unable to better his earlier provisional-pole effort.
The stewards concluded that Hamilton had unnecessarily obstructed Piastri, triggering the three-place demotion that reshuffles the top of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton is facing a grid penalty after stewards flagged an incident for allegedly blocking Oscar Piastri during the closing moments of Q3
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REUTERS
The incident unfolded after Hamilton was sent out ahead of the other frontrunners for the final Q3 attempts — a strategic decision he later expressed surprise about.
Having completed his lap without improving on his earlier benchmark, Hamilton slowed upon crossing the finish line and found himself directly in Piastri’s path at Turn One as the Australian launched his last timed effort.
Piastri was forced to lift off the throttle as he encountered the Ferrari on the racing line, gesturing at Hamilton in frustration.
The seven-time champion responded with an apologetic wave, later admitting he had been unaware anyone was approaching behind him.
The grid reshuffle elevates Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc to the front row alongside Norris, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli climbs from fourth to third.
Lewis Hamilton is alleged to have forced Oscar Piastri to back off
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REUTERS
Piastri, the driver impeded in the incident, moves up one spot to fourth despite his compromised final lap.
Antonelli’s promotion could yet prove temporary, however, as the Mercedes driver faces a separate stewards’ inquiry.
He is under investigation for allegedly failing to respect yellow flags during Q3 after Max Verstappen spun at the final corner in the dying moments of the session.
Mercedes had already endured a difficult qualifying, with George Russell managing only seventh after mysteriously stopping on track.
Hamilton had questioned Ferrari’s approach even before the penalty was handed down, expressing dissatisfaction with being sent out first for the crucial final runs.
“We have been doing a great job all weekend. I felt solid throughout qualifying and, for some reason, we went out first, which I don’t think was the right call,” he told media afterwards.
He added that neither he nor Leclerc found grip on their final laps, despite having been quickest throughout the session.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur shouldered responsibility for the blocking incident, telling Sky Sports F1: “We told him [about Piastri] but it was far too late. If there’s a mistake, it’s our mistake.”
