FIA has made its final call on Lewis Hamilton’s British GP result after looking into the yellow flag situation.
The FIA has made a decision after looking into Lewis Hamilton’s yellow flag situation following the British Grand Prix. Despite getting a five-second penalty for jumping the start at Silverstone, Hamilton still finished third at his home race.
Charles Leclerc from Ferrari won his first race of the season, while Mercedes’ George Russell came in second by choosing not to pit during the Safety Car period after Max Verstappen crashed on lap 48. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli crossed the finish line ninth but was dropped to 16th because of a five-second penalty for going off track.
The Safety Car caused some confusion, as many fans expected a one-lap sprint to the finish. Instead, the Safety Car stayed out until the end of the race, which disappointed many.
Right after the race, the FIA explained their decision. They said the rule requires one lap to be completed after the unlapping procedure and that a “Safety Car In This Lap” message was shown by mistake due to a software glitch.
Hamilton was also under a second investigation for a possible yellow flag violation. He even said after the race that he was expecting another penalty. “Congrats to Charles. He did a great job. I lost my speed over the weekend,” Hamilton said. “I probably will get a penalty. I went through a yellow flag and didn’t see it. When it rains, it pours.”
However, the FIA later confirmed Hamilton received just a reprimand and would keep his podium spot.
F1 returns on July 19 with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
The stewards looked at lots of evidence for Hamilton’s yellow flag case, including videos, timing, and data. They found that Hamilton entered the sector before any yellow flags were shown and that he only got the yellow warning on his steering wheel when he was close to the end of the yellow flag zone. Plus, he was focused on a battle with another driver, so he didn’t have much time to react.
Because of all this, the stewards decided a reprimand was fair. They reminded teams that they can appeal decisions if they want.
Here are the top 3 finishers:
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
And the current championship standings:
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 179 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) – 154 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 147 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 108 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 97 points
It was an exciting race with some twists, and fans will be looking forward to the next one in Belgium!