Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari team has been slapped with a $50,000 fine for an unsafe pit release during a chaotic Belgian Grand Prix that saw multiple investigations launched. Kimi Antonelli roaring to victory to extend his lead in the F1 championship, with Charles Leclerc second and Max Verstappen third.
Hamilton finished fourth ahead of Australia’s Oscar Piastri in fifth, but the result was overshadowed by a number of controversial incidents. George Russell was forced to retire on the opening lap after a prang with Hamilton that dealt the Mercedes driver another huge blow.
Charles Leclerc (R) finished second in the Belgian Grand Prix after a controversial incident with Oscar Piastri (L). Image: F1/Getty
Russell was attempting to overtake Hamilton when his rear wheel was tagged by the Ferrari driver, sending him spinning into the gravel and forcing the arrival of the safety car. Hamilton was given a five-second penalty after the incident was investigated – a decision that was widely slammed as Hamilton didn’t appear to do much wrong.
Piastri then suffered minor damage to his McLaren after a collision with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Many thought Leclerc should have received a penalty, but he was cleared of wrongdoing by race officials and went on to claim second place.
George Russell was forced to retire on the opening lap. Image: Getty
F1 pundits thought the Leclerc incident was worse than Hamilton’s and called for a penalty that would have changed the final result and penalty. But stewards took no further action against Leclerc after an investigation.
“It had big consequences for me,” Piastri said after the race. “Could’ve had very big consequences for both of us but it is what it is.
“I think from then on the race was definitely more difficult. The balance suffered quite a lot for the first stint after that. We were able to compensate a bit in the second stint and the pace got better again, but yeah it was just bit of a tricky race from then on.”
Ferrari fined $50,000 over Lewis Hamilton rule breach
Hamilton was then allowed to keep his fourth-place finish after his Ferrari team survived a post-race investigation for an unsafe release from a pit-stop that saw a team mechanic hit the deck as he tried to adjust the front wing. The mechanic was uninjured, but Ferrari were later handed a fine of €30,000 (AU$50,000) – of which €10,000 is suspended for 12 months.
The incident had the potential to see Hamilton bumped down from fourth place if he copped a second penalty, which would have moved Piastri up. He was ultimately spared, but the penalties handed out during the race caused some controversy.