No penalty for Hamilton after red flag incident

Lewis Hamilton will not receive a penalty for the red-flag incident during the final free practice session in Abu Dhabi. That is what the stewards have decided, after studying the moment.

Halfway through practice, Pierre Gasly suffered damage and drove slowly around the track. Race control decided to temporarily halt the session with a red flag, At that time Hamilton was doing a fast lap. At the drop of the red flag, he just passed a slow-moving Lando Norris, only to shoot past a Haas 150 metres later as well.

The stewards now rule that Hamilton had virtually no time to anticipate the changed situation. Therefore, he will not receive a grid penalty, but a reprimand. The FIA said: "No dispute that Car 44 passed Car 20 directly after the track was placed in a Red Flag condition. (Hamilton) was on a fast lap, he saw the Red Light, immediately completely lifted the throttle and applied the brakes. While checking his mirrors for cars following in close proximity. He said he had, in doing so, gone past Car 20. Stewards noted precedent in relation to the 2021 Dutch GP (Verstappen), where no action was taken against the driver under similar but not identical circumstances Conclusion that the driver of Car 44 took every reasonable action to comply with the regulations in that he immediately reduced speed in a safe manner at the earliest opportunity upon the first indication of the red light."