In a competition marked by intensity, Lewis Hamilton has managed to maintain his fourth position at the Belgium Grand Prix of Formula 1, despite an incident during his pit stop involving a Ferrari mechanic.
The British driver entered the pits on lap 20, under the control of a virtual safety car, to make his only tire change and serve a five-second penalty related to an incident on the first lap with his compatriot George Russell.
After changing tires, one of the Ferrari mechanics attempted to adjust a front wing before Hamilton received the green light to leave, which caused the car to lightly impact the mechanic, who fortunately did not suffer any injuries.
Ferrari has confirmed that the involved mechanic is fine, but the team has been fined 30,000 euros for the unsafe release of the vehicle. Additionally, 10,000 euros of the fine are suspended for a period of 12 months, provided the team does not commit any further similar infractions.
The FIA commissioners decided not to impose any sporting penalty on Hamilton, as he immediately stopped the car after the incident, which also resulted in a loss of time. However, concern for the mechanic’s safety led to the imposition of the fine on the team, as well as the need to review their pit stop communication protocols.
The commissioners have acknowledged that the release of the car under these circumstances was unsafe, and have requested Ferrari to take measures to prevent similar future incidents. Hamilton, reflecting on the situation, recalled a previous incident in which driver Kimi Räikkönen injured a mechanic during the 2018 Belgium GP, expressing his gratitude that this time no one was harmed.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
