Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Dutch Grand Prix after impeding Sergio Perez during qualifying. This decision by the stewards is a significant blow to Hamilton’s chances, demoting him from 12th to 15th on the starting grid. The incident occurred in Q1 when Perez approached Hamilton, who was on an in-lap, at Turn 9, forcing the Red Bull driver to lift off. The stewards ruled that Hamilton had impeded Perez unnecessarily, and the penalty will make it an uphill battle for the seven-time champion to secure a strong finish at the challenging Zandvoort circuit.
Browsing: Grid Penalty
As the highly anticipated British Grand Prix at Silverstone approaches, Alpine’s decision to hand Pierre Gasly a new power unit has led to a 20-grid place penalty for the French driver. This strategic move aims to reduce future penalties, but it comes at a crucial time as Alpine battles for points against rivals like Haas.
Max Verstappen is bracing for bad news on his power unit, with Honda likely to confirm the loss of one of his allocated engines. This could result in a grid penalty, which could significantly impact Verstappen’s tight battle with McLaren for race victories in the 2023 Formula 1 season.