Guenther Steiner has urged Ferrari to challenge Lewis Hamilton’s F1 penalties more aggressively, arguing that persistent pressure can eventually “wear down” the stewards. The former Haas team principal delivered his characteristically blunt assessment on The Red Flags Podcast after the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, as the British driver’s recent sequence of Formula 1 sanctions continued to affect both his results and championship campaign.
The Hungaroring weekend generated numerous talking points for Formula 1 fans and paddock figures. The discussion examined the effect the penalties could have on Lewis Hamilton’s final position in Hungary and their wider impact on the Drivers’ Championship, with the pit-lane speeding sanction becoming an important part of the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix result.
Guenther Steiner backs FIA over Lewis Hamilton’s pit-lane penalty
The South Tyrolean manager defended the FIA’s decision to penalise Lewis Hamilton for speeding in the pit lane. Because the infringement was established through an objective measurement, Guenther Steiner considered the sanction impossible to dispute, even though the seven-time world champion had exceeded the limit by only 0.1 km/h.
The other penalties were a different matter. The former Haas team principal considered them far more debatable and suggested that Ferrari could have challenged the stewards more forcefully, particularly at Spa. The issue has become increasingly significant during a campaign in which sanctions and other setbacks have contributed to the points Lewis Hamilton has lost in Ferrari’s 2026 title fight.
Why Guenther Steiner says Ferrari must ‘wear down’ the stewards
The interviewer then suggested that Ferrari’s apparent reluctance to protest against so many penalties might make it seem as though the team was not genuinely interested in winning the championship. The comparison was made with Christian Horner, who, according to the interviewer, would have caused an uproar in an attempt to prevent his drivers from receiving sanctions. Guenther Steiner partly agreed with that assessment.
Drawing on his experience as Haas team principal, he said: “I agree with you. On the pit-lane speeding penalty, I side with the FIA; it is a clear penalty. On everything else, they could have challenged more at Spa. I would have done it. You always have to find a way to try to defend yourself. If you keep doing that, eventually you wear the stewards down. You exhaust them. They don’t want to argue with you every weekend, and they think that if they penalise a certain driver again, another pain in the neck will come along and try to convince them they were wrong.”
Guenther Steiner’s argument was not that Ferrari should reject every penalty regardless of the evidence. Instead, he drew a clear distinction between Lewis Hamilton’s measurable pit-lane infringement in Hungary and more subjective decisions where greater persistence with the stewards could potentially make a difference.
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