Debate | Was the 5 second penalty for Hamilton justified?
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps was held in wet conditions. Max Verstappen took a victory relatively easily, but behind him, there was plenty of spectacle on the track. Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez were engaged in a tight battle, which eventually led to a collision on exiting Stavelot. The Mercedes driver dismissed it as a racing incident, but the stewards saw otherwise. The Briton received a five-second time penalty and two penalty points on his licence. Was Hamilton's five-second penalty justified, or should the FIA have dismissed the collision as a racing incident?
Pieces of bodywork flew through the air immediately after the collision, but both Hamilton and Perez initially seemed able to continue their race. A few corners later, however, the Red Bull driver quickly fell back through the field, after which his team finally decided to bring the Mexican in. The damage to the RB19's sidepod proved too severe. Lewis Hamilton was able to continue his race, though and put Pierre Gasly under pressure for a long time for third position in the race. The FIA launched an investigation into the incident between the two and eventually handed out a five-second penalty to the Mercedes driver. Hamilton fell back to seventh in the standings as a result.
Sergio Perez commented immediately after the sprint race that his race was ruined by this action. Despite his mild reaction, it makes sense that the Mexican expected a penalty for Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton was also quick to respond after the Sprint. However, the seven-time world champion has a different take on the touché; he dismisses it as a racing incident, citing a legendary quote by Ayrton Senna.
Opinions are always divided on such incidents, which is why GPblog puts the following proposition to you: Five-second penalty for Hamilton after Perez incident is justified. Respond to the poll and join the discussion in the comments.