Ferrari instructed Lewis Hamilton to give a position back to Oliver Bearman during the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, only for the FIA stewards to subsequently determine that the seven-time world champion had not committed an infringement worthy of a penalty. The decision meant that the British driver surrendered a position he would otherwise have been allowed to keep following a controversial overtake at Turn 5.
The incident occurred during Lewis Hamilton’s impressive recovery from 20th on the grid towards the top ten at Interlagos. Although the Ferrari driver left the track while passing Oliver Bearman, the stewards concluded that he had been forced wide while avoiding a collision and had not gained an advantage from going beyond the circuit boundaries.
Ferrari orders Lewis Hamilton to return position after Oliver Bearman overtake
Lewis Hamilton made an extremely exciting start to the Brazilian Grand Prix, rapidly moving forward from his starting position of 20th and closing in on the top ten.
Among the overtakes completed by the seven-time world champion was a move on fellow British driver Oliver Bearman. However, during the manoeuvre, Hamilton went beyond the track limits to avoid contact with the car he was attempting to pass.
The incident was placed under investigation by the FIA stewards. Before knowing whether Lewis Hamilton would receive a penalty, Ferrari instructed its driver to hand the position back to Oliver Bearman.
That instruction proved unnecessary in light of the subsequent FIA decision. The governing body’s stewards clarified that the Ferrari driver would not be penalised for the manoeuvre, meaning he had already surrendered a position that he would not otherwise have been required to return.
The episode came during a race in which Hamilton had made remarkable early progress through the field. His movement through the running order can also be explored using the F1 Race Position and Progression Tracker, which allows readers to examine lap-by-lap position changes.
FIA explains why Lewis Hamilton’s Turn 5 overtake was allowed
The FIA’s official explanation provided the reasoning behind the decision not to penalise Lewis Hamilton. After reviewing the onboard video evidence, the stewards determined that car number 44 had been attempting to overtake car number 87 at Turn 5.
According to the stewards, Oliver Bearman moved towards the right while defending his position, forcing the Ferrari driver off the circuit in order to avoid a collision.
The officials also concluded that Hamilton already had sufficient momentum to complete the overtake and had not obtained an advantage by leaving the track.
The stewards’ official explanation read:
“The Stewards reviewed the onboard video evidence and determined that Car 44 was attempting an overtake on Car 87 at Turn 5. While defending the position, Car 87 moved to the right and Car 44 was forced off track to avoid a collision. Car 44 clearly had the momentum to complete the overtake and did not gain any advantage by leaving the track. Furthermore, we noted that the position was subsequently returned by Car 44. Therefore, we took no further action.”
Ferrari’s early instruction leaves Lewis Hamilton surrendering an unnecessary position
The crucial detail was the timing of Ferrari’s instruction. The team had already directed Lewis Hamilton to return the place before the stewards completed their assessment of the incident.
Once the FIA confirmed that the move did not warrant a sanction, it became clear that the British driver had given up a position despite the officials finding no punishable infringement.
Although the stewards acknowledged that Hamilton had subsequently returned the place, their explanation also made clear that he had been forced off the circuit to avoid contact and had not gained an advantage by crossing the track limits.
For Ferrari, the episode underlined the consequences of making an immediate decision while an investigation was still ongoing. The team’s attempt to address a possible track-limits infringement resulted in Lewis Hamilton giving back a position that the FIA ultimately determined he had been entitled to retain.
Further developments involving the seven-time world champion can be followed in the Lewis Hamilton Ferrari news section, while the broader events of the weekend are covered in the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix guide.
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