FIA reveals evidence behind Lewis Hamilton’s Oscar Piastri penalty at the Hungaroring. Why Lewis Hamilton was penalised despite not seeing Oscar Piastri.

Lewis Hamilton has been handed a three-place Hungarian Grand Prix grid penalty after the FIA stewards ruled that he unnecessarily impeded Oscar Piastri at Turn 1 during qualifying. Although they acknowledged that the Ferrari driver had not received a timely radio warning and could not see the McLaren in his mirrors, the incident forced Oscar Piastri to abandon his flying lap.

The penalty drops Lewis Hamilton three positions on the starting grid and leaves him facing the race from fifth place. It represents a significant setback after qualifying and complicates his hopes of capitalising on his exceptional Hungarian Grand Prix record.

Lewis Hamilton expected an impeding penalty

During his post-qualifying interviews, Lewis Hamilton was already aware that he would probably be penalised for impeding Oscar Piastri. The British driver appeared dejected and suggested that starting from fifth would leave him approaching the Grand Prix in damage-limitation mode.

That concern was subsequently confirmed when the stewards imposed a three-place grid drop. While accepting that Ferrari had not warned Lewis Hamilton in time and that Oscar Piastri was outside his field of view, the FIA concluded that the McLaren driver’s lap had nevertheless been compromised.

The decision adds another complication to a weekend in which Ferrari had arrived with growing confidence, while also recognising that the team could not take a strong Hungarian Grand Prix performance for granted.

FIA explains Lewis Hamilton’s Hungarian GP grid penalty

“The stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), the driver of Car 81 (Oscar Piastri), the team representatives and reviewed video evidence, telemetry, team radio communications and onboard camera footage.

“On the approach to Turn 1, Car 44 was travelling at a significantly reduced speed on the racing line while Car 81 was approaching on a push lap.

“The driver of Car 44 explained that he had just completed a push lap and had not received a radio message from the team regarding the approaching Car 81 until the latter was already in close proximity. He also stated that, because of 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 evasive action by running wide and was obliged to abort the lap.

“After reviewing the available evidence, the stewards determined that Car 44 unnecessarily impeded Car 81 during qualifying.

“In accordance with the FIA Formula 1 Regulations and the established penalty guidelines for this type of qualifying infringement, the stewards impose a three-place grid penalty on the driver of Car 44.”

Lewis Hamilton drops to fifth on the Hungarian GP grid

The ruling confirms that Lewis Hamilton will begin the Hungarian Grand Prix from fifth position rather than the starting place he secured in qualifying. He must now attempt to recover from the third row during a race he had already described as likely to become an exercise in limiting the damage.

The confirmed grid penalty completes a difficult end to Saturday for the Ferrari driver, whose focus must now turn towards recovering positions in the Grand Prix. Session times and broadcast details remain available in the complete 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix schedule.