FIA announce Lewis Hamilton penalty at Hungarian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton

FIA announce Lewis Hamilton penalty at Hungarian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton appeared to impede McLaren's Oscar Piastri during qualifying

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 25 July 2026 19:11

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Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has been handed an FIA penalty after an incident during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.

Hamilton is hoping top claim a ninth Hungarian GP victory this weekend, and looked to have a very good chance of doing just that after qualifying up in second behind Lando Norris.

But immediately after the session, Hamilton was noted for an alleged impeding offence on Norris' McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, and was called to see the stewards.

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Now, it's been revealed that Hamilton has been given a three-place grid drop for the race on Sunday, for 'unnecessarily impeding' Piastri.

It means that Hamilton will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from fifth, a huge blow to his chances of victory given the nature of the Hungaroring and the difficulties that drivers have overtaking around it.

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Why was Hamilton handed a penalty?

Hamilton was finishing a hot lap during Q3 when he slowed down heading into turn one, but McLaren's Piastri was fast approaching having just started his own flying lap.

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur said after the session that Ferrari had not given Hamilton enough warning of Piastri's arrival into turn one, and the official verdict from the FIA seemed to confirm this too.

"At the approach to turn one, car 44 was travelling at a significantly reduced speed on the racing line while car 81 was approaching on a push lap," FIA race stewards said.

"The driver of car 44 explained that he had just completed a fast lap and did not receive the team's radio message regarding the approaching car 81 until the latter was already in close proximity. He further stated that, due to the positioning of his car on the track, car 81 was not visible in his mirrors.

"Car 81, which was on a push lap, was forced to take avoiding action by running wide and being obliged to abort the lap. Having examined the available evidence, the Stewards determined that car 44 unnecessarily impeded car 81 during qualifying."

Hamilton's penalty will be made even more frustrating by the fact that he will now start the race behind his championship rival Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli is 45 points ahead of Hamilton in the drivers' championship, and will now start up in third, behind Norris and Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc. Piastri will start in fourth.

McLaren star Piastri suggested after qualifying that Hamilton was the reason why he was not able to challenge his team-mate Norris for the pole position.

"It was just Lewis not looking in his mirrors," Piastri told Sky Sports F1. "The yellow flag [for Verstappen] wasn't my problem.

"A shame because it meant I didn't get a lap in either way. Clearly the car has been quick today. I have certainly been chasing it, it has not been easy, but clearly there is performance there."