BREAKING : Lewis Hamilton Branded a ‘Cheat’ by Former FIA Steward After Singapore Grand Prix Penalty… Read more
Lewis Hamilton Branded a ‘Cheat’ by Former FIA Steward After Singapore Grand Prix Penalty
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has come under fire from former FIA steward and ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert, who accused him of “cheating” following his penalty at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix. The British racing legend was demoted in the final classification after being handed a five-second time penalty for repeated track limit violations late in the race.
Hamilton endured a difficult weekend under the lights at Marina Bay, which took a turn for the worse during the closing stages. The Ferrari driver encountered a serious brake issue that forced him to back off and allowed Fernando Alonso to close in behind. The situation escalated when Hamilton exceeded the track limits several times while trying to manage his car’s braking problems — ultimately drawing the attention of both the stewards and his long-time rival, Alonso.
Frustrated by Hamilton’s driving, Alonso launched into an expletive-filled rant over team radio, accusing the British driver of unsafe and unfair driving. The Spaniard argued that Hamilton was “limping around” with his brake troubles and gaining an unfair advantage by running off the track.
According to FIA regulations, drivers are permitted to exceed track limits three times before being shown the black and white warning flag. A fourth offence, however, results in a time penalty. Hamilton was found to have left the circuit on four occasions in the final laps, breaching the rule and earning a five-second penalty.
The sanction dropped him from seventh to eighth in the final race standings, while Alonso was promoted to seventh. Despite Hamilton’s explanation that he went off track due to his brake issues rather than to gain time, the stewards upheld the penalty.
Johnny Herbert, who served as an FIA steward after his own Formula 1 career, defended the decision, insisting that the rules were applied correctly. Speaking to BettingLounge, the former McLaren and Benetton driver criticised Hamilton’s actions, claiming that the 39-year-old had “taken liberties” with the rules.
“It was the right thing to do to give Lewis that penalty because there was a bit of cutting of certain corners, so he didn’t have to brake,” Herbert said. “He got his just deserts. The stewards made the right call.”
Herbert went on to say that Hamilton’s conduct crossed the line of fair competition: “Fernando was definitely making sure the stewards were aware of his anger. But I think it was quite clear at the end of the day that liberties were being taken for Lewis to get to the end of the race. You can’t take those liberties — you can’t cheat to that degree.”
The former F1 driver also commented on Alonso’s animated response, describing it as typical of the Spaniard’s fiery personality. “It was very Fernando — getting on his high horse, shouting and screaming! But we all expect that from him. That competitiveness has been there since his very first race in Formula 1 all those years ago.”
Hamilton’s penalty capped off another frustrating race weekend for the Ferrari driver, whose 2025 campaign has been marred by reliability issues and missed opportunities. The latest incident adds to growing pressure on both Hamilton and Ferrari to deliver consistent results in what has been a challenging season for the Maranello-based team.
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