Hamilton Fined €50,000 For Mistake During Qatar Grand Prix

Sunday, 15 October 2023 at 20:00

FIA punished Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton for crossing the track after a crash with George Russell during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.

Starting from the second and third positions on the grid, Mercedes had hopes for a double podium for their drivers in the final race of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

However, all hopes disappeared in the first corner when Hamilton collided with his teammate George Russell, which put the seven-time world champion out of the race and Russell to the last position.

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The crash between the two Mercedes drivers though, was not the reason for the heavy fine that Hamilton received. The fine was given to Lewis Hamilton for crossing the track on his own after the incident. FIA document details:

"[Hamilton] crossed the track that was live at this time and reached the inside edge of the track just seconds before Car 63 arrived at high speed after exiting the pits. He then continued to walk alongside the track until finally exiting the track."

As fans watching from home could see on their screens, Russell in his car flew by right as Hamilton crossed the track. Crossing a live track can be "extremely dangerous" and is strictly forbidden.

"The Stewards reinforced the fact that crossing a live track can cause extremely dangerous situations, and the drivers have to be very cautious about it."

Lewis Hamilton reportedly apologized for his mistake. However, the Mercedes driver will not avoid the heavy fine for his actions.

"The driver is fined €50,000, €25,000 of which is suspended for the remainder of the 2023 season on condition that there is no further breach of similar nature."

The number 44 driver will likely want to forget about the Qatar Grand Prix weekend as soon as possible. Mercedes expects to be competitive during the United States Grand Prix, so Hamilton will get his chance for redemption next week.