Formula 1 fans have voiced frustration that Lewis Hamilton seems unable to catch a break after the seven‑time world champion incurred a three‑place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The penalty was issued for impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during the final qualifying segment. While traveling down the main straight at reduced speed, Hamilton did not yield the racing line to let Piastri pass.
Ferrari confirmed that it had alerted Hamilton to Piastri’s approach, but the message arrived too late. Consequently, Hamilton, who originally qualified second, will start the race from fifth place.
Although many fans acknowledged that the penalty was warranted, others lamented that the 41‑year‑old driver cannot seem to catch a break.
‘As expected but still disappointing. If he can break into the top three after lap one, he may still have a chance to win the race,’ one fan commented on Reddit, while another remarked, ‘Another wasted weekend—this is aggravating.’
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
‘Unfortunately, that was a clear penalty and there was little Lewis could do given the miscommunication. Lewis simply can’t catch a break lately,’ another fan posted.
‘Yeah, it really sucks all around; you don’t want to see Hamilton lose three places when he was so competitive, and Piastri has endured a rough streak of bad luck, making it a lose‑lose situation,’ one fan said. Another added, ‘Ah, man… Another race, another penalty. A clean weekend from start to finish would be nice. As Fred noted, the information was simply passed along too late. [Carlo] Santi had been giving him gap updates all session, but he missed it at the end. It’s disappointing, but that’s how it is.’
Current championship leader Kimi Antonelli also received a three‑place grid penalty for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags.