Lewis Hamilton has vowed to stop giving the Formula 1 stewards reasons to penalise him after a costly sequence of sanctions left the Ferrari driver 50 points behind Kimi Antonelli. Although the seven-time world champion accepted responsibility for some of the incidents at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring, he maintained that not every decision against him was justified.
The recent penalties have significantly affected Hamilton’s points tally and complicated his pursuit of the leading positions. Incidents in both qualifying and races have forced the British driver to recover lost ground or manage situations made more difficult by sanctions, contributing to the points lost in Ferrari’s 2026 championship campaign.
Lewis Hamilton addresses his costly F1 penalties
Hamilton has accepted responsibility when he believes he made a mistake, but he also feels that some race-control decisions were particularly severe. The recent episodes have intensified the continuing debate over the consistency of Formula 1 stewarding, an issue that remains a regular subject of discussion among drivers and paddock figures.
“I think the last few races have gone pretty badly for me,” Lewis Hamilton said. “At Silverstone it was my fault, but in the drivers’ meeting we said that the stewards had not been consistent when judging starts. In the past, there have been drivers who moved without being penalised.”
“We discussed with them that, provided you do not move while the final lights are illuminated, you should not be penalised. I had not left my grid box, and they agreed. So they are considering the matter for the future.”
The Silverstone discussion forms part of a broader examination of the stewarding decisions behind Hamilton’s recent frustration.
Hamilton disputes Spa sanction but accepts Hungary mistake
The Ferrari driver was less willing to accept the decision made at Spa-Francorchamps, arguing that even George Russell considered the contact to be an ordinary racing incident.
“At Spa, even George Russell said it was simply a racing incident, yet they gave me a penalty,” Hamilton explained. “I do not think it was necessary.”
He took a different view of the subsequent incident in Hungary, acknowledging that he should have been more attentive even though the relevant warning arrived very late.
“In Hungary, I take responsibility because I should have looked in the mirrors, but I received the information right at the end. These decisions have cost me a lot of points,” the British driver added.
Lewis Hamilton makes a clear promise before Zandvoort
Hamilton now wants to draw a line under the sequence when Formula 1 returns at Zandvoort. Avoiding further mistakes will be a priority as he attempts to recover from the 50-point deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with the latest positions available in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings.
“I will give everything to try to return to the top,” Lewis Hamilton said. “There are still many positions to gain. I will try not to give them any reason to penalise me.”
The seven-time world champion’s objective for the second half of the season is therefore clear: minimise errors, avoid further intervention from the stewards and begin closing the championship gap. His attempt to change course will start when the campaign resumes at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
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