F1 fans argue Lewis Hamilton “can’t catch a break” after Hungarian GP penalty
Formula 1 fans have argued that Lewis Hamilton ‘cannot catch a break’ after the seven-time champion was hit with a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Briton was handed the penalty for impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during the final phase of qualifying. As Hamilton was going down the main straight at a reduced speed, he failed to move off the racing line to allow the Australian driver through.
Ferrari confirmed that it had informed Hamilton of the incoming McLaren, but that the instructions were shared too late. As a result, Hamilton, who had initially qualified second, will now start the Hungarian Grand Prix from fifth on the grid.
While the majority of fans agreed that the incident deserved a penalty, some argued that the 41-year-old can’t catch a break.
“As expected but still disappointing. If he can be top three after lap one, he may still have a chance to win the race,” one fan commented on Reddit, while another added: “Another wasted weekend, this is aggravating, man.”
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
“Unfortunately, that was a clear penalty and there was nothing Lewis could really have done as it was a miscommunication. Lewis can’t catch a break lately,” someone else posted.
Further reactions included: “Yeah, it honestly sucks all around; you don’t want to see Lewis drop three positions when he was so competitive, and Oscar has been on a really bad run of bad luck so it’s just a lose-lose situation all round,” and “Ah, man… Another race, another penalty. Just a clean weekend from start to finish would be nice. Like Fred said – all of this was just communicated to him too late. [Carlo] Santi had been telling him gaps entire session but just fall asleep at the end. Shame but it is what it is.”
Current championship leader Kimi Antonelli was also handed a three-place grid penalty for not slowing down enough for yellow flags.
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