BREAKING: Hamilton’s Disqualification Underscores Mercedes’ Bahrain GP S…read more
BREAKING: Hamilton’s Disqualification Underscores Mercedes’ Bahrain GP S…read more
Lewis Hamilton’s start to life at Ferrari has fallen short of expectations, and recent events have highlighted just how differently fortunes can swing in Formula 1. While Hamilton faced a crushing disqualification earlier in the season, his former team Mercedes narrowly escaped a similar scenario during the Bahrain Grand Prix — a situation that could’ve drastically altered the race results.
Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, has only managed 25 points in his first four races of 2025, placing him seventh in the standings trailing behind the young driver who replaced him at Mercedes. His most chaotic weekend came in Shanghai, where he won the sprint but was later disqualified from the Grand Prix, wiping out his momentum.
In contrast, Mercedes now represented by George Russell and newcomer Kimi Antonelli has consistently collected points. Yet in Bahrain, Russell was nearly penalized after a DRS violation that drew comparisons to Hamilton’s 2021 disqualification in Brazil.
Back then, Hamilton was punished for a technical infringement when his rear wing failed to meet DRS specifications, forcing him to start from the back of the grid. The stewards ruled decisively, citing a clear breach of the rules.
In Bahrain 2025, Russell came under scrutiny for allegedly using DRS outside the permitted zone due to a malfunction and an accidental press of a dual-function button. The DRS was activated briefly just 37 meters and he later lost time in the following corner, offsetting any potential gain.
After reviewing the data, the FIA stewards concluded that Russell didn’t benefit from the error and decided against issuing a penalty, allowing him to keep his second-place finish.
Had the ruling gone differently, even a small time penalty could have cost Russell his podium. The contrast with Hamilton’s 2021 penalty highlights the fine line between technical and procedural infractions and how discretion can change outcomes.
Ultimately, Mercedes escaped Bahrain with no punishment, but the incident serves as a reminder of how critical and fragile compliance is in F1 and how sometimes, teams simply get lucky.
