Hamilton Investigated for Impeding Piastri in Hungarian GP Qualifying
During the qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari found himself under investigation by the FIA stewards following an incident involving McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. This occurred during Q3, where Piastri's final flying lap was compromised due to Hamilton being on the racing line.
Piastri voiced his strong displeasure over team radio, stating his final attempt was hindered by Hamilton. The British driver, meanwhile, explained he was unaware of Piastri's position on a quick lap, attributing the confusion to a miscommunication with his race engineer, Carlo Santi, who had just informed him of a yellow flag caused by Max Verstappen's spin.
The Impeding Incident and Piastri's Frustration
During the critical Q3 segment of the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying, Oscar Piastri, driving for McLaren, encountered an unfortunate obstruction by Lewis Hamilton. Piastri, who had initially secured a provisional fifth place, was on his final attempt to improve his lap time when he found Hamilton’s Ferrari on the racing line at Turn 1. This incident severely hampered Piastri’s ability to better his position, leading to an audible expression of frustration over his team radio. He later commented that he had been observing Hamilton from the start line, anticipating him to move off the racing line, only to almost collide with him, which he described as a significant disappointment given his need for a clear second lap in Q3.
Piastri elaborated on the challenges he faced throughout the weekend, noting that missing FP1 had a greater impact than anticipated, largely due to the changing track conditions. He felt he was gradually gaining pace with each qualifying lap and desperately needed a clean run in Q3 to capitalize on his progress. The incident with Hamilton, therefore, was particularly frustrating as it prevented him from maximizing his performance when it mattered most. Despite the impediment, Piastri managed to retain his fifth-place qualifying position, highlighting his underlying pace and potential in the challenging conditions.
Hamilton's Perspective and the Yellow Flag Confusion
Lewis Hamilton, reflecting on the qualifying incident that led to the stewards' investigation, expressed genuine surprise at impeding Oscar Piastri. He explained that he had believed all other competitors behind him had completed their flying laps, having been the first car out for that particular run. Hamilton specifically recalled Charles Leclerc being the car behind him when he exited the pitlane, which further contributed to his misunderstanding of the track situation. His race engineer, Carlo Santi, had communicated 'Piastri pushing' just as Hamilton finished his lap, but this was immediately followed by a 'yellow flag, yellow flag' alert due to Max Verstappen's spin at Turn 14. This conflicting information and the sudden yellow flag diverted his attention, leading to the unfortunate impediment of Piastri.
Santi later acknowledged that the yellow flag communication had caught him off guard, leading to the misjudgment in informing Hamilton about Piastri's approaching fast lap. Hamilton reiterated that the impediment was entirely unintentional, as he had no awareness of Piastri's presence on a hot lap. The Ferrari driver, who ultimately missed pole position by a mere 0.012 seconds to Lando Norris, pondered the impact of the grid position. He noted that even a potential three-place penalty, dropping him to fifth, might offer an advantage by placing him on the cleaner side of the grid. He concluded by congratulating Norris on his pole, admitting that Ferrari had been quick throughout qualifying and felt pole was within their grasp, but it ultimately 'got away' due to a strategic call and the ensuing confusion.