Every time Hamilton landed in trouble with the stewards in 2026 so far

After a 2025 season to forget in terms of results, the seven-time world champion has bounced back in emphatic fashion this year with a completely different mindset. His improved form has left him second in the championship heading into the summer break, trailing only Kimi Antonelli, who has dominated the season so far and holds a 50-point lead.

Hamilton also claimed his first victory as a Ferrari driver in Barcelona. Since then, he has added five more podium finishes and came within just 0.012 seconds of securing pole position at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, where he was narrowly beaten by Lando Norris.

Hungary, however, also brought two costly penalties that significantly affected Hamilton's final result. The first came in qualifying, when he was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri, dropping him to fifth on the grid at a circuit where overtaking has traditionally been difficult. A second penalty followed during the race for speeding in the pit lane, ultimately leaving him to finish behind his Ferrari team-mate.

Hamilton's run of penalties began in Monaco, where he was punished with five seconds for marginally exceeding the pit lane speed limit. He was penalised again at Silverstone, this time for a false start, before another setback arrived at Spa. During the Belgian Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver collected a further five-second penalty after stewards ruled him primarily at fault for an opening-lap incident involving George Russell.

Former Formula 1 designer and former Jordan technical director Gary Anderson believes Hamilton needs to take greater responsibility for the mistakes that have affected his recent races rather than looking elsewhere. Anderson admitted he was surprised to see a driver with Hamilton's experience making repeated errors, suggesting they could either be the result of a difficult spell or point to a deeper underlying issue.

Reflecting on the two penalties Hamilton received in Hungary, Anderson argued that the Ferrari driver was largely responsible for both incidents. In his view, Hamilton should accept more accountability instead of directing criticism towards the team, adding that his vast experience should be setting an example for younger drivers rather than contributing to avoidable mistakes that have already cost him valuable championship points.

Anderson also said he believes there is an explanation for almost every issue Hamilton has encountered recently. However, he criticised the seven-time world champion for, in his opinion, failing to acknowledge his own role in those setbacks and instead appearing too willing to place the blame on others, something he described as disappointing.