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FIA Clears Lewis Hamilton of Qualifying Breach at Spanish Grand Prix
The FIA has concluded its investigation into Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying session at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, officially confirming that no penalties will be issued. The inquiry focused on whether Hamilton, along with Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll, had violated Article 33.4 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations and Article 12.2.1 i) of the FIA International Sporting Code. All three drivers were suspected of exceeding the permitted time limit between the two Safety Car lines during qualifying, which is regulated to prevent interference with other drivers’ laps.
Now racing for Ferrari in his debut season with the team, Hamilton was under particular scrutiny due to his history of strong performances at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he has previously won six times. During Saturday’s qualifying session, the 40-year-old Briton showed signs of resurgence by securing fifth on the starting grid—his best Saturday performance in several races. This marked only the second time this season that he has outqualified his teammate, Charles Leclerc, who ended up in seventh place. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton’s successor at the Silver Arrows, split the Ferrari duo by taking sixth.
The incident under investigation stemmed from suspicions that the trio may have driven slower than allowed between the designated Safety Car lines. This rule, which enforces a maximum allowable lap time of 1:25.0 during out-laps and in-laps, aims to maintain fairness and prevent drivers from holding up others during hot laps. After examining comprehensive evidence—including onboard video, CCTV, lap timing data, and GPS positioning—the FIA stewards determined that all three drivers remained within the legal time limits and took appropriate measures to avoid obstructing their competitors.
In their official verdict, the FIA stated that each of the investigated drivers slowed down only in areas where it was necessary to allow faster cars to pass, ensuring a fair opportunity for clean laps. As a result, no sanctions or grid penalties will be applied, meaning Hamilton retains his P5 starting spot for Sunday’s race.
This decision comes as a welcome development for Hamilton, who has endured a rocky start with Ferrari since making the high-profile move from Mercedes. His time at the Scuderia has been marked by difficulties adjusting to the car and being consistently outpaced by Leclerc in both qualifying and races. Until now, his lone highlight had been a sprint race victory in Shanghai earlier this season.
Despite the challenges, Hamilton expressed renewed optimism following his performance in Barcelona. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction from where we’ve been,” he remarked after qualifying. “The grid’s really tight, but I’m going to push to finally get on the podium this season.”
With the penalty cloud lifted and a strong starting position secured, Hamilton is poised to fight for a top-three finish in Spain. As one of his historically successful circuits, a solid result on race day could be the breakthrough he needs to kickstart his campaign with Ferrari and reaffirm his status as a frontrunner in the 2025 season.
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