Lewis Hamilton has held on to his podium finish at the British Grand Prix after Formula 1 stewards cleared him of any penalty that would have changed the race results.
The Ferrari driver finished third at Silverstone after a dramatic race that concluded behind the safety car. Hamilton had been on course for second place before Ferrari brought him into the pits during the late safety car period, which was triggered by Max Verstappen’s crash. The team expected the race to restart before the final lap, but the safety car stayed out until the chequered flag, leaving Hamilton to finish in third.
After the race, Hamilton was placed under investigation for an alleged yellow flag infringement. The 41-year-old was summoned to meet the stewards after the podium celebrations, raising concerns that he could lose his podium if a time penalty was applied.
However, after reviewing the incident, the stewards decided against imposing a sporting penalty. Instead, Hamilton received only a reprimand, allowing him to keep third place and the 15 championship points earned at Silverstone.
The ruling came as a significant boost for Ferrari, as any time penalty would likely have dropped Hamilton further down the final order and reduced the team’s points haul from the race.
Hamilton’s afternoon had already been complicated before the investigation. Early in the Grand Prix, he was handed a five-second penalty for a false start. Ferrari served the penalty during his first pit stop, forcing the British driver to recover throughout the remainder of the race.
Despite that setback, Hamilton delivered a strong performance to work his way back into podium contention. Ferrari’s strategy during the late safety car briefly gave him hope of finishing second, but with the race ending under caution, he had to settle for third.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton admitted he expected the yellow flag investigation to result in another penalty. Instead, the stewards concluded that a reprimand was sufficient, ensuring his podium result remained intact.
The decision completed a dramatic day for Hamilton, who overcame an early race penalty, a tense post-race investigation and the uncertainty surrounding the stewards’ verdict to secure another podium finish for Ferrari at Silverstone.
