F1 star Lewis Hamilton issues Ferrari penalty verdict ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Hamilton vreest winterrace in Imola: ‘Niet de plek voor veel inhaalacties’ — Photo: © IMAGO

Lewis Hamilton

F1 star Lewis Hamilton issues grid penalty verdict ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Positive news for the Brit

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson F1 Editor

Motorsport journalist covering F1 since 2024

Friday 25 September 2026 18:05

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Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he is not expecting to have to take an engine penalty later this season, despite currently being at the limit of all of his power unit components.

Given the length of a season, the FIA allows each driver to use a select number of each power unit component throughout a campaign without punishment.

This allowance varies by component, but when those limits are exceeded for the first time, a driver is given a mandatory 10-place grid penalty at the first event where each element is used. The second time this occurs, and from thereon out, it is a five-place grid drop, with multiple penalties at the same event applying in a cumulative manner.

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Several drivers, such as Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris, have already taken grid penalties this season for fitting components outside of their allowable limit, while Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are set to take a combined 50-place grid drop for several changes to their Honda power units in Baku this weekend.

At present, Hamilton is currently at the upper limit of all power unit components before any sort of grid punishment, but a retirement last time out in Madrid means his parts don't have quite as much wear as they would have done had he completed the race.

2026 Ferrari Power Unit Components – Lewis Hamilton
Power Unit Element	Hamilton Used	FIA Allowance
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)	4	4
Turbocharger (TC)	4	4
Exhaust Systems (EX)	4	4 sets
Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K)	3	3
Energy Store (ES)	3	3
Control Electronics (CE)	3	3
Auxiliary Power Unit (PU-ANC)	6	6

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Lewis Hamilton on 2026 FIA grid penalty

Hamilton has therefore revealed that the retirement in Spain could actually be a positive in the long run when speaking to the media ahead of this Saturday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion says that he essentially gained a race by not completing all of the laps in Madrid, and as a result, doesn't expect to have to exceed his power unit components and take the consequential penalty later this year.

"I currently don't foresee that I have to take a penalty," Hamilton told the media in Baku, via RacingNews365.

"Given that obviously we didn't do the mileage on the last race, I gained a race."

The only factor that could change this, Hamilton says, is performance.

"But naturally, with engines, from new to when they've done several races, there is a difference in performance," he continued.

"So we will make that decision later on in the year."

F1 standings ahead of 2026 Azerbaijan GP

Hamilton enters the Azerbaijan Grand Prix sitting third in the 2026 drivers' standings and with his championship hopes all but over.

He currently trails Kimi Antonelli by 101 points ahead of lights out on Saturday, and now faces a mammoth task after his DNF in Madrid if he is to challenge the Italian this season.

2026 F1 Driver Standings after the Spanish Grand Prix
Pos	Driver	Team	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	292
2	George Russell	Mercedes	211
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	191
4	Lando Norris	McLaren Mastercard	186
5	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	167
6	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	145
7	Oscar Piastri	McLaren Mastercard	120
8	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	71
9	Liam Lawson	Red Bull Racing	59
10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	41
11	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	31
12	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	27
13	Oliver Bearman	Haas	18
14	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi Revolut	10
15	Nico Hülkenberg	Audi Revolut	7
16	Carlos Sainz	Williams	6
17	Alexander Albon	Williams	5
18	Esteban Ocon	Haas	3
19	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	3
20	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	1
21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	0
22	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	0
23	Sergio Pérez	Cadillac	0