Lewis Hamilton has admitted he expects to be stripped of his third-place finish at the British Grand Prix following an investigation into an alleged yellow flag infringement. The seven-time world champion, who drives for Ferrari, finished behind teammate Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell at Silverstone on Sunday. However, a post-race probe by race stewards could see him penalized, potentially losing all points from his home race.
Race Background and Incident
Hamilton had already been handed a five-second penalty for jumping the start of the race. Despite this, he crossed the finish line in third place, securing his 16th British Grand Prix podium. The controversy stems from an incident under a late Safety Car period: Hamilton pitted while running second, expecting to challenge Leclerc for the lead after the restart. However, Russell opted not to pit and inherited second place, which he retained when the race ended prematurely behind the Safety Car, denying Hamilton a chance to reclaim the position.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hamilton said: "It's all a bit of a blur to be honest. I don't really remember. I was in P2 then we stopped and... yeah. You couldn't have predicted that. We did what we thought was right." He added: "Congrats to Charles. Charles did a great job today. All the magic that I had on Friday just disappeared through the weekend. And I'm probably going to get a penalty right now as well so I'll probably lose [the podium]."
Yellow Flag Infringement
The stewards are investigating Hamilton for allegedly failing to slow down under yellow flags. The 39-year-old acknowledged the incident: "The FIA often... have to react. I went through a yellow flag and I didn't see it. So I jumped the start, yellow flag... yeah. When it rains it pours. I can't confirm anything no. I've just been to see them [the stewards], that's it. I've just been to see them, I don't have an answer yet. Most likely I'll probably get something. I'll probably get a penalty I'm sure."
Self-Criticism and Team Performance
Hamilton was critical of his own performance and his team's strategy. He explained: "We're just lacking front end and we massively under-egged it with the front wing. That's my fault and the engineering fault." Earlier, before the podium ceremony, he told Jenson Button: "Firstly I have to say a big, big congratulations to Charles. Winning this Grand Prix is a great experience and this is a great result for our team. Congratulations to our team. I just didn't have it today. I jumped the start and already got a five-second penalty but Charles had the pace on me today. I struggled with the balance of the car. But I gave it everything I'm grateful to be up here."
Regarding Ferrari's title prospects, Hamilton added: "It looks like it, I'm not really sure what happened to Kimi [Antonelli]. The team is doing a phenomenal job. We have some work to do still to really close the gap on pure performance but look at these results. Two wins for the team this year, it's just fantastic."
Potential Impact
If Hamilton receives a second penalty, he could lose his third-place points entirely, dropping out of the top 10. The stewards' decision is expected shortly. The race finished behind the Safety Car, with Leclerc taking his first win at Silverstone, while Russell celebrated his first podium at the circuit.
