Hamilton penalty verdict confirmed by FIA after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix incident

Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2023 — Photo: © LAT Images

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Hamilton penalty verdict confirmed by FIA after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix incident

Pierre Gasly accused the Brit of having hit him in a mid-race battle.

Edward Hardy

Sunday 26 November 2023 18:42

Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stewards following a collision with Alpine's Pierre Gasly during the race.

Just 16 laps in, Gasly locked his front right tyre into turn 6, putting him in an unexpected line and causing Hamilton’s Mercedes to make “light contact” with the rear of the Alpine.

The Frenchman was furious about the situation, complaining on the team radio: “He pushed me, hit me.”

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Hamilton defended the situation, stating: “I’ve just damaged my front wing. He locked up ahead of me.”

Hamilton pitted shortly after the incident but didn’t change his front wing.

Having reviewed the positioning, data, team radios and in-car evidence, the FIA agreed that no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame.

Stewards said: "Car 10 (Gasly) locked its front right tyre into Turn 6 resulting in that car approaching the turn on a slightly different line at a slightly lower speed which was obviously unexpected by the driver of Car 44 (Hamilton). Car 44 made light contact with the rear of Car 10 in the Turn. The Stewards determine that no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame."

Pierre Gasly was angry after the contact with Lewis Hamilton.

Fight to the finish

A disappointing qualifying session had put Hamilton in the middle of the pack, forcing him to battle through the grid to secure crucial points with Mercedes fighting for P2 in the constructors’ standings.

Hamilton managed to race his way up to P9 by the chequered flag, even with the damage to his front wing, securing two points.

That result would be crucial for Mercedes given they only bested Ferrari in the constructors’ by just three points, 409 to 406.

With George Russell taking P3, Mercedes secured P2 in the constructors' standings.

Alpine's irritation

Gasly would suffer a more frustrating end to the race. Having qualified in P10, he ended the final Grand Prix of the season in in P13, behind his teammate Esteban Ocon.

Despite being bested in the season finale, Gasly managed to come out on top in his first season alongside Ocon, with the pair getting P11 and P12 in the drivers’ standings respectively.