Lewis Hamilton Penalized, Loses Singapore GP Seventh Place

Lewis Hamilton has been stripped of his seventh-place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix, after F1 stewards handed him a post-race penalty for exceeding track limits. The decision elevates Fernando Alonso to seventh, capping a dramatic end to Hamilton's race.

Why it matters:

This penalty, though minor in terms of championship points, highlights the intense scrutiny on track limits, especially in the closing stages of a race. For Hamilton, it adds another layer of frustration to a challenging Singapore weekend where reliability issues again played a role in Mercedes' performance. The incident also underscores the fine line drivers walk between managing car issues and adhering to strict sporting regulations.

The details:

• Late Race Drama: After a strategic late pit stop for soft tires, Hamilton was aggressively closing on Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli, often clocking laps nearly four seconds faster. His teammate, George Russell, even waved him through to pursue the leaders.
• Brake Failure: With just three laps remaining, Hamilton experienced a front brake failure at Turn 16. This forced him to significantly reduce pace, losing ground to Leclerc and barely holding off Fernando Alonso, who had been 43 seconds behind when the issue began.
• Track Limit Infringements: During these final laps, as he struggled with the failing brakes, Hamilton exceeded track limits multiple times. This prompted a post-race investigation by the stewards.
• Stewards' Decision: Following the hearing, Hamilton was issued a five-second time penalty. This demoted him from seventh to eighth, promoting Alonso to seventh.
• Justification Denied: The stewards acknowledged Hamilton's claim of managing a brake issue but deemed it not a justifiable reason for multiple track limit violations, applying the standard penalty for such an infringement. Neither Hamilton nor the Mercedes team representative contested the ruling.

What's next:

While the championship implications are minimal, the incident provides a talking point for Mercedes as they continue to refine their W15 package. The focus will now shift to Japan, where Mercedes will be keen to avoid similar reliability issues and extract more consistent performance. Hamilton will undoubtedly be looking to bounce back from a disappointing Singapore outing.