Lewis Hamilton branded the FIA stewards a “complete joke” after receiving a penalty during a disastrous Brazilian Grand Prix that ended in retirement. The seven-time world champion, who started 13th on the grid, suffered contact with Carlos Sainz’s Williams at the start and later clipped Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, earning a five-second penalty.
“These guys are a joke – a complete joke,” Hamilton said over team radio upon learning of the penalty. The 40-year-old, driving for Ferrari, retired after serving the penalty in the pit lane, compounding a double DNF for the team after Charles Leclerc’s earlier withdrawal. Ferrari dropped to fourth in the constructors’ championship.
Hamilton, who also received a 10-second penalty in Mexico for an incident with Max Verstappen, described the weekend as “devastating” and a “nightmare.” He added: “To come away with nothing, to not finish a race, the second time this year, it’s really devastating. I feel terrible for the team.”
The Briton remains without a podium in 21 races as a Ferrari driver, sitting sixth in the drivers’ standings, 66 points behind teammate Leclerc. Lando Norris won the race, extending his championship lead to 24 points with three rounds remaining. The next race is the Las Vegas Grand Prix on 20-22 November.
