Lewis Hamilton Awaits Brazil Stewards’ Decision After Investigation

Lewis Hamilton faces a post-SQ2 investigation at Interlagos after allegedly failing to slow for yellow flags, prompting stewards to delete his lap while leaving his sprint grid position unchanged.

Unable to start a second push lap after crossing the line under the chequered flag, Hamilton ends SQ2 in 11th, limiting scope to progress in a tightly packed midfield.

Triggering the review is Charles Leclerc’s spin exiting Turn 10, which produces local yellows that Hamilton passes without an obvious lift, bringing the incident under the stewards’ scrutiny.

Officials delete the lap under investigation, but it is slower than his segment best, so the sanction has no competitive effect and avoids a grid drop under yellow-flag compliance rules.

Leclerc recovers to eighth for the sprint after the spin, while Ferrari’s intrateam dynamic remains tight with Leclerc fifth on 210 points and Hamilton sixth on 146.

Lando Norris secures sprint pole and sustains McLaren’s momentum. The team leads on 713 points, ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes, while Verstappen’s Red Bull labours for outright pace at Interlagos.

Yellow flag transgressions usually trigger lap deletions or grid penalties, depending on severity. Here, the deleted lap is not his best, so the deterrent applies without distorting the competitive order.

With sprint qualifying results settled and the investigation closed, attention shifts to the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, where tyre management and clean execution should decide the weekend’s final points swing.

Hamilton starts 11th and needs clear air, decisive overtakes, and sharp strategy calls. Ferrari’s race trim looks competitive, but pit windows and potential Safety Cars could reshape opportunity.

Norris’s form sustains the championship narrative, while Verstappen and Ferrari chase answers. The imperative now is execution under pressure as the season enters its decisive phase.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.