Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver given penalty and loses second on Hungarian GP grid after blocking Oscar Piastri

Lewis Hamilton has been relegated from second to fifth on the Hungarian Grand Prix grid after a penalty for blocking McLaren's Oscar Piastri at the end of qualifying.

Hamilton lost out on pole position to Lando Norris in the other McLaren by the narrowest of margins after failing to improve his provisional-pole time, but then soon found himself placed under investigation by stewards for an incident involving Piastri.

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Hamilton had been the first of the leading drivers to complete his final lap - positioning he was left surprised by - and as he slowed down once he crossed the line, he appeared to block Piastri through Turn One as the McLaren started its final timed attempt behind him.

Stewards summoned both drivers and team representatives after qualifying to review the incident and ultimately judged that Hamilton had unnecessarily impeded Piastri, handing him a three-place grid demotion.

The penalty promotes Hamilton's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc to second place on Sunday's grid behind Norris and, as it stands, world championship leader Kimi Antonelli up to third and Piastri to fourth.

Antonelli, though, is the subject of a separate stewards' investigation over an alleged failure to slow for yellow flags waving when Max Verstappen spun on his final Q3 lap at the final corner.

Speaking before the penalty was confirmed, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said any blame fell on the team and not Hamilton.

Vasseur told Sky Sports F1: "We told him [about Piastri] but it was far too late.

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"If there's a mistake, it's our mistake."

Hamilton himself said soon after qualifying: "I was told literally when he was at the apex behind me, so I had no idea he was coming. I thought everyone came out behind me. I was the first out, so I thought everyone had finished the lap.

"I think Charles was coming up behind me when I left the pit lane, as far as I was aware.

"Crazy, because it had been clean, and obviously it wasn't intentional."

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Why Hamilton was given a three-place grid penalty

The official Hungarian GP stewards' verdict:

"The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), the driver of Car 81 (Oscar Piastri), team representatives and reviewed video, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence.

"At the approach to Turn 1, Car 44 was travelling at a significantly reduced speed on the racing line while Car 81 was approaching on a push lap.

"The driver of Car 44 explained that he had just completed a fast lap and did not receive the team's radio message regarding the approaching Car 81 until the latter was already in close proximity. He further stated that, due to the positioning of his car on the track, Car 81 was not visible in his mirrors.

"Car 81, which was on a push lap, was forced to take avoiding action by running wide and being obliged to abort the lap. Having examined the available evidence, the Stewards determined that Car 44 unnecessarily impeded Car 81 during qualifying."

Sky Sports F1's Hungarian GP schedule

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Sunday July 26
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: Porsche Supercup
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Hungarian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Hungarian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
5pm: Ted's Notebook*

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is in Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix with Sunday's race at 2pm and build-up from 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime