Verstappen and Hamilton learn fate from FIA stewards after Dutch GP Sprint

The Ferrari driver, just like Verstappen, came to a halt while heading towards his starting position, with the incident prompting the stewards to examine whether he complied with the procedures in place for reaching the grid.

Footage of the incident showed that congestion at the back of the grid made it difficult for Hamilton to continue safely. His decision to stop where he did was therefore considered reasonable given the circumstances, and the stewards saw no grounds to punish the seven-time world champion. Hamilton was consequently cleared of any wrongdoing.

The four-time world champion, along with Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll, who committed the same infringement, met the same fate, with all three avoiding any penalties.

Like Verstappen, Hamilton, Tsunoda and Stroll, Carlos Sainz also escaped without a penalty following the Zandvoort Sprint, although the Williams driver received a warning from the stewards. Gabriel Bortoleto, meanwhile, remains under investigation over an alleged unsafe release and will require to report to the stewards after the race.

Sainz started from the pit lane after Williams made set-up changes to his car and eventually finished the Sprint in 19th position. His case centred on an incident at the end of the formation lap, when he overtook Valtteri Bottas before reaching Safety Car Line 1 while making his way into the pit lane.

The stewards determined that Sainz breached the regulations, but the usual consequence for the offence would have been a pit-lane start. As the Spaniard was already starting from the pit lane, that sanction was redundant, leaving the stewards to issue him with a warning instead.