Why it matters:
Lewis Hamilton will face a five-place grid penalty at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza. This sanction comes after he was found to have breached yellow flag rules during the recent Dutch GP. The penalty adds to a challenging period for Hamilton and Ferrari as they contend for constructor points.
The details:
- The FIA investigation concluded that while Hamilton did reduce his speed under yellow flags, the reduction was not deemed "significant" enough to comply with safety regulations.
- Stewards imposed a five-place grid drop, a lesser penalty than the usual 10-place, due to mitigating factors like his attempt to lift off and brake earlier.
- He also received two penalty points on his Super Licence.
- This incident followed a difficult Dutch GP weekend for Hamilton, where he crashed at Turn 3 in wet conditions, extending his podium-less streak with Ferrari to 15 races.
- Ferrari's woes continued with a double-DNF in the same race after Charles Leclerc collided with Kimi Antonelli, reducing their lead over Mercedes in the constructors' championship to 12 points.
What's next:
Hamilton will now start the Italian Grand Prix five positions lower than his qualifying result. This could potentially hinder Ferrari's efforts to close the gap on rivals and improve their championship standing. The team will be under pressure to perform at their home race despite this setback.