Lewis Hamilton’s Hungarian Grand Prix grid penalty extended a remarkable sequence for the Ferrari driver, who has now received four penalties across the past six Formula 1 race weekends. Although his responsibility appears to have been limited in several of those cases, the sanctions may already have cost him between six and ten valuable championship points.
After the latest decision, Lewis Hamilton eventually expressed his frustration on social media. It was an understandable reaction after the stewards in Hungary handed him a third penalty in three consecutive race weekends—and his fourth in six Grands Prix during a season of resurgence that has nevertheless included several unexpected obstacles.
Lewis Hamilton had qualified on the front row in Budapest, but a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri means he must start fifth. The infringement was clear, although Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur believes the responsibility rested more with the team than with Lewis Hamilton because Ferrari delivered its warning too late.
That appears to be the common thread linking the penalties imposed on the seven-time world champion over the past two months: Lewis Hamilton’s own responsibility has often seemed minimal. Nevertheless, the sanctions have denied him important championship points that could have brought him even closer to Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings.
Lewis Hamilton’s penalty troubles began in Monaco
The sequence started in Monaco, where Lewis Hamilton was among those caught up in a wave of penalties for alleged speeding in the pit lane. Those decisions were later shown to have been incorrect, as demonstrated when Pierre Gasly’s podium finish was reinstated. However, the penalties could not be reversed for drivers such as Lewis Hamilton who had already served them during the race.
Despite that paradoxical situation, Lewis Hamilton still brought home second place behind Kimi Antonelli. Of the four recent penalties, it was probably the one that caused the least damage to his championship position.
The Silverstone start penalty ended his victory hopes
After winning in Barcelona and finishing fifth in Austria—two weekends without disciplinary problems—Lewis Hamilton arrived at Silverstone. There, he received a five-second penalty for a very slight movement on the starting grid shortly before the lights went out.
Although Lewis Hamilton gained no advantage from the incident, the stewards penalised the Ferrari driver and effectively removed him from contention for victory. The win eventually went to teammate Charles Leclerc.
The disruption caused by the Safety Car and Ferrari’s decision to bring Lewis Hamilton into the pits during the closing laps then cost him another three valuable points on a weekend when championship leader Kimi Antonelli retired.
The Spa penalty added to Lewis Hamilton’s frustration
The next controversial episode came at Spa-Francorchamps, where Lewis Hamilton was handed another five-second penalty following contact with George Russell on the opening lap. The decision raised eyebrows among many observers, while even Mercedes acknowledged that the collision had been a “simple” racing incident.
Without the penalty and the resulting extended pit stop—which also featured the accidental contact with a Ferrari mechanic—Lewis Hamilton would certainly have finished on the podium and would probably have joined Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc in the battle for victory. Once again, the sanction appears to have cost him at least three points.
Hungarian GP penalty becomes fourth in six races
The latest setback arrived during qualifying in Budapest, where Lewis Hamilton impeded Oscar Piastri and was demoted three places. The decision changed the 2026 Hungarian GP starting grid, promoting Charles Leclerc to the front row while dropping Lewis Hamilton from second to fifth.
It is still impossible to calculate how many points the Hungary penalty will ultimately cost. However, starting fifth instead of second is hardly encouraging at the Hungaroring, a circuit renowned for making overtaking difficult. Lewis Hamilton has also admitted that remaining positive is becoming difficult after such a sustained run of stewarding setbacks.
How many championship points have the penalties cost?
It is not unreasonable to estimate that Lewis Hamilton has already lost between six and ten points because of these penalties, despite rarely appearing primarily responsible for the incidents involved. That is a considerable total that could prove highly significant by the end of the season.
The eventual cost of the Budapest grid drop will depend on how effectively Lewis Hamilton can recover during the race. For now, however, the Kimi Antonelli-Mercedes partnership stands to benefit as the Ferrari driver faces another difficult fight to limit the championship damage. The consequences can be followed in the latest Formula 1 driver standings.
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