FIA issue Lewis Hamilton verdict after Austrian Grand Prix incident
Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari from Mercedes at the start of F1 2025
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has escaped with a warning from the FIA after an impeding incident with Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes during FP2 at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The incident took place on the approach to Turn 4, where Antonelli was forced to take avoiding action after encountering a slow-moving Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton warned by FIA over Austrian GP impeding incident
Antonelli aired his frustration over team radio at the time of the incident, commenting over team radio: “Mate, what is going on with these people? Honestly.”
Hamilton held up his hand in apology to Antonelli before claiming over team radio that he could not see the Mercedes approaching in his mirrors.
He said: “I couldn’t see Antonelli at all, so…”
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The FIA announced that Hamilton has been given a warning for the incident, with the Ferrari driver escaping a grid penalty.
The stewards’ verdict read: “The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), the driver of Car 12 (Kimi Antonelli), team representatives and reviewed video, team radio and in-car video evidence.
“The driver of Car 44, although constantly checking his mirrors after being informed by the team about Car 12 closing in, slowly moved on to the racing line on the approach to Turn 4 and thereby unnecessarily impeded Car 12 which had to take evasive action.
“The driver of Car 44 apologized directly after realizing his mistake.
“The Stewards determined that, despite the more lenient approach to impeding in Free Practice, the impeding was unnecessary and that a Warning to the driver is warranted.”
The incident with Antonelli came moments after Hamilton expressed frustration with his lack of pace in the early stages of FP1 in Austria, telling his race engineer Riccardo Adami: “For some reason I’ve just got no pace, mate.”
Hamilton eventually ended the session in 10th place, one spot ahead of Antonelli and a massive 0.931 seconds slower than the pace-setting McLaren of Lando Norris.
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Hamilton has largely struggled since arriving at Ferrari from Mercedes at the start of the F1 2025 season.
Despite enjoying success in the sprint format, winning from pole position in China before finishing third in Miami, the seven-time World Champion has failed to register a podium finish across his first 10 races for his new team.
It marks the 40-year-old’s worst-ever start to an F1 season, with Hamilton struggling to match the pace of team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari has been hamstrung by a fundamental issue with the SF-25 car’s ride height since the start of the season, forcing the team to run the car higher than it was designed for it.
The problem is believed to have played a role in Hamilton’s disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix, 24 hours after dominating the sprint race.
As detailed by PlanetF1.com’s tech editor Matt Somerfield, Ferrari is aiming to continue its recovery in Austria with a major floor upgrade.
A significant update to the rear suspension – believed to be key to Ferrari’s hopes of salvaging its season – is expected to arrive in time for Hamilton’s home race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, next weekend.
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