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Hamilton Avoids Penalty After Albon Impeding Incident

Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment following an investigation by the stewards concerning an incident where he allegedly impeded Alexander Albon during the second practice session at the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Albon initially described Hamilton’s positioning in his Ferrari as “dangerous” as he approached Turn 12, prompting the stewards to call the seven-time world champion for a review after the practice session concluded.

After consulting with both drivers and analyzing relevant data, the four stewards concluded that no sanctions would be imposed on Hamilton. According to their report, “The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), the driver of Car 23 (Alexander Albon), team representatives and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence and determined that Car 44 unnecessarily impeded Car 23 during Practice 2 at Turn 17.”

However, the stewards also noted that, based on a prior agreement with the teams, unless the impeding was deemed dangerous, no penalties would follow. During the hearing, Albon acknowledged he had control over his car at all times and, despite being impeded, did not classify the situation as hazardous.

Albon admitted, “He had seen Car 44 in front of him during the corner before. However, he did not expect Car 44 to be in the position on track that he was in, which surprised him as he approached Turn 17, necessitating evasive measures.” He further clarified that while his first reaction was to indicate a danger, upon reflection, he agreed that it was not.

In terms of performance, Hamilton recorded the 13th fastest time during this session, while Albon secured 10th place for Williams, with his teammate Carlos Sainz impressively finishing fifth—highlighting a strong start to the race weekend for Williams.

James Vowles, the team principal of Williams, commented on the incident in an interview with Sky Sports F1. He explained, “There are specific sections of the circuit, particularly between Turns 5 and 8, where visibility is limited and the car is heavily loaded, reducing options for the drivers. You can only ease off the throttle; braking is not an option. This situation was not intentional from Ferrari, but we aim to emphasize caution to prevent any accidents.”

Related Topics

Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton

Alexander Albon

Ferrari

Williams

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