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Tsunoda gets grid penalty for impeding Hamilton

Tsunoda gets grid penalty for impeding Hamilton in Zandvoort qualifying

26 August 2023 at 18:20
Last update 26 August 2023 at 19:41
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  • Toby McLuskie

Yuki Tsunoda has been penalised for impeding Lewis Hamilton during qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The AlphaTauri driver faces a grid penalty of three places for the race.

Tsunoda penalised for impeding Hamilton

Tsunoda got in Hamilton's way during Q2, after which the Mercedes driver failed to improve his time and missed out on a spot in Q3. The Japanese driver indicated to the stewards that he had just been overtaken by another car and decided to maintain a slow pace to be able to recover his deficit,

However, the stewards are of the opinion that the AlphaTauri driver had a "clear opportunity" to stay off the line and therefore deemed Hamilton's interference unnecessary. They therefore impose a three-place grid penalty on him.

Sainz also does not get away unpunished, Stroll does

Lance Stroll was also being investigated for possibly impeding Hamilton, but the stewards found that he did not unnecessarily hinder the Briton. In contrast, Carlos Sainz was reprimanded and fined five thousand euros for a dangerous manoeuvre, in which the Ferrari driver suddenly entered the racing line while Oscar Piastri was driving there. This forced the McLaren driver to swerve.