The Canadian Grand Prix Sprint may have ended nearly an hour earlier, but Lewis Hamilton was not immediately certain of his final classification after crossing the finish line. The British Ferrari driver came under investigation by the stewards following an off-track moment on the final lap, with officials assessing whether he had gained an advantage over the rival directly behind him.
After summoning the driver, the stewards reviewed GPS system data, video footage, timing information, team radio communications, and onboard video evidence.
Car 44 was ahead of Car 81 as the two approached Turn 13 at the Montreal circuit when Lewis Hamilton went off track, cutting the chicane before rejoining ahead of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
However, the stewards determined that this case differed from an earlier incident in the same Sprint session involving Cars 27 and 30, because Car 81 was not in an overtaking position relative to Car 44 at the time of the incident.
As a result, Lewis Hamilton’s move was not considered defensive by the stewards under the Driving Standards Guidelines. In line with those regulations, the Ferrari driver was not handed a penalty.
Below is the official FIA statement.
The stewards’ decision to clear Lewis Hamilton ensures that Ferrari maintains its hard-earned double-points finish from Saturday’s short-form encounter. By acknowledging that Hamilton’s off-track excursion was a consequence of car handling difficulties rather than an illegal defensive blocking move, the FIA panel applied a pragmatic interpretation of the modern driving standards framework. As the focus shifts to the main Grand Prix, this operational clearance allows the Maranello team to put the post-race anxiety behind them and focus completely on fine-tuning their low-downforce setup configurations to better combat their Mercedes-powered rivals over the full grand prix distance.
Leave a Reply