Stewards explain why they penalised Hulkenberg, not Hamilton for similar incidents

The stewards have cleared Lewis Hamilton for potentially leaving the track and gaining an advantage during the sprint race in Montreal.

Although they acknowledged a similarity between Hamilton’s move on Oscar Piastri and another incident which did attract a penalty, the stewards ruled a difference between the two incidents justified clearing Hamilton.

Nico Hulkenberg was given a 10-second time penalty for forcing Liam Lawson off the track at turn 13. The stewards ruled Hulkenberg “left the track at turn 13 whilst defending against car 30 [Lawson] into turn 13, and by doing so, gained a lasting advantage over car 30 by maintaining the position.”

“The driver rejoined the track in front of car 30 and did not give the position back,” they continued. “The stewards deemed car 27 [Hulkenberg] was ‘defending’ its position. The stewards determine that Car 27 gained a sporting advantage in position and that this advantage was not relinquished.”

However in Hamilton’s case the stewards ruled the Ferrari driver was not defending his position at the time.

“Car 44 [Hamilton] was in front of car 81 [Piastri] on the approach to turn 13 and left the track, drove through the chicane and rejoined, in front of car 81,” they stated.

“However this incident differs from the previous incident in this [race] involving cars 27 and 30 in that car 81 was not in an overtaking position on car 44. Accordingly car 44 was not deemed by the Stewards to be ‘defending’ its position hence was not deemed to gain a lasting advantage, consistent with the Driving Standards Guidelines.”

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Hulkenberg was one of two drivers who were penalised for incidents involving Lawson at the same corner. Sergio Perez also received a 10-second time penalty, for forcing the Racing Bulls driver off the track.

The stewards ruled Lawson “was attempting to overtake car 11 [Perez] on the straight before turn 13” but Perez “moved to the right of the track then moved back to the left forcing car 30 off the track.”

Lance Stroll avoided a penalty for failing to participate in the formation lap after lining up on the grid. The stewards said no penalty was necessary because Stroll’s car was pushed off the grid due to a technical problem.

Esteban Ocon was cleared following an investigation into a potential illegal tyre pressure adjustment by his Haas team after the stewards concluded no infringement had taken place.

“Video evidence proved conclusively that there was no breach of the regulations in that there was no contact with the tyre that would have resulted in pressure being released,” they noted. “The report received was based on a visual report from the scrutineer who witnessed a crew member of car 31 holding what appeared to be an air hose connected to the tyre but was in fact the electrical cable for the tyre blanket. The cable was almost identical in appearance to the air hose and could easily have been mistaken for the latter.”

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