Three-place grid penalty for Lewis Hamilton after qualifying decision review

Austrian Grand Prix

Three-place grid penalty for Hamilton after qualifying decision review

Red Bull protest results in penalty for Hamilton

Sam Hall

Sunday 5 July 2020 14:38 Updated: 14:52

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Lewis Hamilton has been handed a three-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags during the closing stages of qualifying for the Formula 1 season-opener in Austria.

Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas had slipped off the track at turn four, leading to the yellow-flag marker boards activating instantly.

Video footage showed Hamilton continuing to accelerate past the board, but a green flag being waved at the next marshal's post added some confusion.

Race stewards decided on Saturday evening that was enough of a mitigating circumstance.

But following a review instigated by Red Bull, Hamilton has now been handed a three-place grid drop - the same penalty Max Verstappen received for a similar incident at the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix.

Article continues under video

The decision read: "Following a petition to review decision 33 taken after Qualifying, the Stewards acknowledged that the on-board footage of car 44 represents a significant new element that had not been available to the Stewards in the hearing on Saturday and therefore reviewed the case.

"The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton) and the team representative and have reviewed the new video evidence and telemetry evidence.

"The new video footage clearly shows that a yellow light panel was flashing on the left side of the track in turn 5. A green light panel was flashing at the end of marshalling sector 9. Taking into account these facts, the Stewards determine that decision 33 will be reversed and the above-mentioned penalty is being imposed."

Ahead of the decision, 2009 world champion Jenson Button gave his verdict on the situation.

"The issue for me is that, I've had this issue before, and basically you go past a yellow-flag post full throttle, it's not correct," Button told Sky Sports F1. "You have to lift. He didn't lift.

"I'm saying, yes, we know the rules and you have to lift for a yellow flag, and obviously he's accelerating through a yellow flag.

"The problem is, if he couldn't see it because the dust is there, I'm sorry but you still get a penalty because it's the regulations."

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