FIA Announces Penalty Verdict for Lewis Hamilton After S…read more
The FIA has issued its final verdict concerning Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton following an investigation that was launched during qualifying for the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari this season after a long and successful career with Mercedes, was among three drivers scrutinized by Formula 1’s governing body for allegedly exceeding the 1:25.0 time limit between the Safety Car lines during the qualifying session on Saturday.
Hamilton, who has an illustrious history at the Spanish venue—having claimed victory six times—put in a strong performance during qualifying. It marked his first time returning to this track as a Ferrari driver. In doing so, he managed to outqualify his highly rated team-mate Charles Leclerc, securing a solid fifth place on the starting grid for Sunday’s race. Leclerc, meanwhile, could only manage seventh, with Mercedes’ rookie driver Kimi Antonelli splitting the two Scuderia teammates.
The incident that led to the FIA investigation centered around Article 33.4 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations and Article 12.2.1 i) of the International Sporting Code. Along with Hamilton, Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll were also investigated for potentially driving too slowly between the two Safety Car lines, a move that could have disrupted other drivers on flying laps. Such breaches are taken seriously by race stewards, as they relate directly to both safety and sporting fairness during the qualifying session.
Following a comprehensive review involving marshalling and positioning data, timing records, onboard video footage, and CCTV analysis, the FIA released a statement clearing all three drivers of any wrongdoing. According to the official statement, all drivers “stayed at or above speeds necessary to stay below 1:25.0 around the vast majority of the circuit.” The stewards further noted that the drivers took “appropriate actions to not impede other drivers,” including slowing down significantly when necessary to allow competitors a clear and unobstructed lap.
As a result of the findings, the stewards concluded that there had been no violation of the rules regarding excessively slow driving. Therefore, no penalties were applied, and all three drivers—including Hamilton—will retain their respective grid positions for Sunday’s race.
The investigation’s outcome was a relief for Hamilton, whose P5 qualifying result was his second time this season outqualifying Leclerc in what has otherwise been a challenging adaptation to life at Ferrari. Despite flashes of pace, the Briton has struggled to consistently match Leclerc’s qualifying performances, with the Monegasque generally considered one of the most formidable one-lap specialists on the grid. So far in 2025, Hamilton’s only top result came from winning the Sprint Race in China.
Nevertheless, Saturday’s result in Spain provided a much-needed morale boost. Speaking to the media after qualifying, Hamilton expressed cautious optimism about his prospects for the race and noted improvement in both the car’s performance and his own comfort behind the wheel. “Definitely an improvement from where we’ve been, definitely an improvement I would say from my qualifying side,” he said, acknowledging the progress Ferrari has made as the season unfolds.
Despite the ongoing adjustment to Ferrari’s car and team dynamics, Hamilton is visibly determined to prove his mettle and silence doubters who question whether the move from Mercedes was the right one. With a positive attitude heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix, he made it clear that he was targeting his first podium finish of the season in a full-length race.
“It’s going to be close. It’s really close between us all, so I’m going to try and get on the podium for once,” Hamilton admitted. With the top of the grid tightly packed, any small edge in strategy, tire management, or racecraft could make the difference.
As the lights go out in Barcelona, all eyes will be on Hamilton to see if his improved qualifying form can translate into a strong race result. While the FIA’s investigation could have derailed a promising weekend, the stewards’ verdict means Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix campaign remains on track—and possibly set for a breakthrough performance in red.
