Lewis Hamilton close to Formula 1 race ban after Russian GP penalties
F1 champion up to 10 of maximum 12 penalty points after latest sanctions in Sochi; Hamilton must avoid picking up two points across next four races
Sunday 27 September 2020 18:45, UK
Lewis Hamilton is close to a Formula 1 race ban after picking up two more penalty points on a frustrating Sunday for the championship leader at the Russian GP.
Update: Hours after the race the FIA rescinded Hamilton's penalty points so he remains on eight.
Hamilton's race was all-but-ruined after being handed two separate 5s time penalties following pre-race practice starts in the wrong location, and he eventually finished third behind Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen.
As well as being forced to serve that 10s penalty in the pits, which he called "ridiculous", Hamilton was also handed two penalty points by race stewards - bringing the total on his superlicence to 10.
Hamilton is therefore just two points away from an automatic one-race ban, with 12 the limit for drivers over a rolling 12-month period.
"It's ridiculous the points they've been giving people this year in general," said Hamilton. "Penalty points usually are for... I would say from a driver's point of view if you put somebody in danger, you crash into somebody, of course you should be getting points.
"I did not harm anybody, I didn't put anyone in harm's way so ultimately it's a ridiculous rule. I'll just make sure I'm squeaky clean moving forwards, don't give them any excuse for anything.
"I guess we'll go through the rulebook and pick out the areas where they can create rules."
The Englishman will be on very thin ice for the next four races, as he is not due to drop any penalty points until November's Turkish GP.
That will mark a year since he picked up two points for an Alex Albon collision in Brazil.
Hamilton's other penalty points all came from the 2020 season.
He was handed four during the season-opener in Austria, two for ignoring yellow flags in qualifying, and two for another shunt with Albon in the race, while he collected two more for an Italian GP pit-lane error.
No driver has reached the 12-point limit since the totting-up system was introduced in 2014.
Verstappen backed Hamilton, adding: "It is a bit harsh. If you cause a crash it's different, but I think the penalty Lewis got was already painful enough. Two points? It's a bit harsh that he's up to 10 points. I'm not sure that's correct."
Sky F1 pundits on Hamilton's Sochi penalties
Karun Chandhok: "There have been two occasions in three races now that Lewis has been caught out by something that we don't normally see drivers get a penalty for, it's been unusual in both instances.
"The one today, it confused me if I'm honest. Johnny and I, like Lewis, have driven at many, many racetracks around the world, and you knew you can't go that far down the pit-lane when everybody else is accelerating at full speed, and do a practice start. It's just something that the stewards are never going to let you get away with.
"Obviously the adrenaline is still pumping, he's still angry about it, he hasn't had time to digest and allow himself to come back down from the anger from the race. I'm sure if he goes to have a conversation with Michael Masi and the race stewards, I think he will understand, they're not out to get him. It did catch the other drivers by surprise.
"I'm sure once he sees the videos and understands, he will have a different view."
Johnny Herbert: "I'm not so sure [anyone's trying to stop him]. The time I've spent in the stewards' room there has never been any inkling of that. Where he said he'd started in that position many many times - there has always been a place, maybe for 20 years, where you start in that designated place. You can't go outside it."
