Breaking News: Late FIA Penalty Drops Lewis Hamilton on Spanish Grand Prix Grid F...read more

Late FIA Penalty Drops Hamilton to 8th on Spanish GP Grid

Lewis Hamilton has received a late grid penalty ahead of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, demoting him from 5th to 8th on the starting grid. The Ferrari driver was handed a three-place penalty following a post-qualifying investigation by the FIA.

The penalty stems from an incident during Q2 where stewards determined Hamilton impeded Esteban Ocon. Despite radio warnings from the Ferrari pit wall, Hamilton stayed on the racing line during Ocon’s flying lap, resulting in what the FIA deemed “avoidable interference.”

In an official statement, the FIA said:

“Car 44 failed to adequately yield to Car 31 during a timed lap, causing obstruction. A three-place grid penalty is therefore warranted.”

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur expressed disappointment at the timing of the decision but accepted the outcome:

“We disagree with the timing, but respect the decision. Lewis is motivated and we’ll push to recover positions in the race.”

The penalty reshuffles the midfield, with teammate Charles Leclerc moving up to 6th and Fernando Alonso gaining a spot to start 7th. Hamilton will now face a more challenging race at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Revised Top 10 Starting Grid: