Lewis Hamilton Dangerously Close to One Race Ban Following Russian Grand Prix Incident
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via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia – Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton before the race. Pool via REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has not had the weekend he was expecting. He came into the Russian Grand Prix one win away from equalling the record set by the legendary Michael Schumacher.
However, he leaves with a P3 finish and 2 more penalty points on his super license. This puts the Briton in a precarious position, as he could face a one-race ban is he picks up two more penalty points.
The 6-time World Champion received two separate 5-second time penalties for two illegal pit lane starts. However, having served the time penalty, the FIA soon confirmed that he will be receiving one penalty point each for the two incidents.
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That takes Lewis’ tally to a total of 10 penalty points this year. F1 rules state that if a driver accumulates 12 penalty points within the span of 12 months, they will have to serve a one-race ban.
Hamilton is definitely on a tightrope at the moment. Another incident could see the Championship leader out of one Grand Prix weekend.
What’s interesting is that 2 of Hamilton’s penalty points elapse after the Turkish Grand Prix. So technically, all Lewis has to do is keep a clean chit until the 15th of November.
Lewis Hamilton Handed 2 Penalties for Practice Start Incident Before the Russian GP
Where else has Lewis Hamilton accumulated his penalty points this year?
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia -Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in action during the race. Pool via REUTERS/Yuri Kochetkov
Two of Hamilton’s penalty points have been carried on from the 2019 season.
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In 2020, the first two of Hamilton’s penalty points came in Austria in the first race of the season. Hamilton was penalized for not having slowed down under yellow flags during qualifying.
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His next couple of penalty points came in the very same race for having crashed out Red Bull’s Alex Albon. Hamilton picked up his next two penalty points at the Italian Grand Prix when he entered the pit lane when it was deemed closed.
The two that he was slapped with in Sochi take his tally to a grand total of 10.
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Hamilton needs to get through four Grand Prix weekends on the tightrope. If he fails to do that, Hamilton would become the first-ever F1 driver to miss a race for accumulating 12 penalty points on his super license.
That is not a record Hamilton would like to own. Heck, that’s not a record any driver would want against their name.
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