Hamilton Dodges Grid Drop After Stewards' Yellow Flag Investigation
Lewis Hamilton has been found guilty of a rules infringement during qualifying for the Sprint race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix but has managed to avoid a grid penalty. The seven-time world champion was investigated by F1 stewards for allegedly failing to slow sufficiently for double-waved yellow flags, a serious offence that typically carries a grid drop.
The Incident: What Happened in Q2?
The controversy unfolded during the second segment of Friday's qualifying session. Hamilton's Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, spun off at the exit of turn 10, triggering the double-waved yellow flags. These flags require drivers to reduce speed significantly and be prepared to stop immediately.
Onboard footage from Hamilton's car showed the British driver proceeding through that section of the Interlagos circuit without any discernible reduction in pace as he attempted to reach the start-finish line to begin a flying lap.
The Stewards' Verdict and Punishment
In their official decision, the stewards confirmed that Hamilton had breached the regulations. However, they accepted his explanation that he did not see the yellow light signal, which was only illuminated for a fraction of a second before he passed it.
The stewards noted: "The driver's focus was clearly on the turn-in-point... the Stewards find it credible that he did not actually perceive the signal."
Crucially, they emphasised that Hamilton had seen Leclerc's stationary car and a green light beyond it, meaning he should have realised he was in a yellow flag sector. Telemetry data revealed Hamilton hesitated with the throttle but did not reduce speed as required.
Instead of the standard five-place grid penalty, the stewards issued Hamilton his first reprimand of the season, citing consistency with previous similar decisions.
Consequences for the Sprint Race
As a direct result of the incident, Hamilton failed to set a competitive lap time and did not progress to the final qualifying segment (SQ3). This means he will start Saturday's Sprint race from 11th position on the grid.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris secured pole position for McLaren, with his teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri qualifying third. Red Bull's Max Verstappen could only manage sixth place in the competitive session.
