Lewis Hamilton avoided sanctions from Formula 1 stewards following an investigation into allegations he left the track and gained an advantage during the closing stages of Saturday’s sprint race at the Canadian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion was cleared after officials determined no lasting advantage was gained when he cut through a chicane while battling with rivals on the final lap at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The incident occurred as Hamilton dropped from fourth to sixth position on lap 24 of the shortened race format. Oscar Piastri drew alongside the Mercedes driver entering the final corner, executing a pass that also allowed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to move ahead of Hamilton in the process. “Piastri got alongside me into the last corner and basically overtook me, and then through that lost position to Charles,” Hamilton explained after the race.
Stewards launched their investigation after reviewing the moment that was not captured by television broadcasts. The official decision document revealed that Hamilton’s car left the track at Turn 13 and rejoined ahead of Piastri’s McLaren, prompting the inquiry into whether the 105-time race winner had gained an unfair advantage.
However, the stewards panel concluded no penalty was warranted after examining positioning data, video evidence, timing information, team radio communications, and onboard camera footage. The decision contrasted with an earlier incident in the same session that resulted in Nico Hulkenberg receiving a 10-second time penalty for a similar infraction.
The key distinction, according to the stewards, was that Piastri was not in an overtaking position when Hamilton left the track. “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, and hence was not deemed to gain a lasting advantage, consistent with the Driving Standards Guidelines,” the official statement read, allowing Hamilton to retain his sixth-place finish in the sprint standings.