FIA explains Lewis Hamilton decision after Brazilian GP incident

Jamie Woodhouse

08 Nov 2026 8:23 PM

The FIA stewards took no further action against Lewis Hamilton in Brazil

Lewis Hamilton attracted the attention of the FIA stewards at Interlagos for a potential leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

The moment in question occurred on the opening lap as Hamilton briefly battled Haas’ Oliver Bearman. Following an investigation, the FIA stewards were satisfied that Hamilton had left the track to avoid a collision and ruled no further action was required.

FIA explains Lewis Hamilton no further action decision

Hamilton was one of three drivers, alongside Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, to suffer a back-of-the-grid penalty at the Brazilian Grand Prix, following a power unit change.

The Ferrari was on an absolute Lap 1 charge, rising to ninth by the time the second tour of Interlagos began.

However, in the process, his pass on Bearman coming out of Turn 5 had alerted the stewards as Hamilton briefly went off-track in the process of pulling past the Haas.

The stewards ruled that Hamilton was forced to jump over the kerb to avoid a collision, and did not gain an advantage from doing so. It was also noted that he gave the position back to Bearman anyway, as Ferrari had asked.

As such, the stewards took no further action.

Their explanation reads: “The stewards reviewed in-car video evidence and determined that Car 44 was attempting an overtake on Car 87 at Turn 5.

“In defending the position, Car 87 moved to the right and Car 44 was pushed off the track to avoid a collision.

“Car 44 clearly had the momentum for the overtake and gained no advantage by going off the track.

“We also noted that the position was subsequently given back by Car 44. We therefore took no further action.”

It proved a challenging race for Hamilton from there. Struggling and losing significant ground on a drying track, the seven-time world champion was first to stop for slick tyres.

When the rain returned late in the race, Hamilton went spinning up the hill out of Juncao. He managed to keep it out of the wall and reach pit-lane.

He drove on to a P9 finish.

“Really tough day and weekend, I think for the whole team,” Hamilton reflected to Sky F1 afterwards. “But they’ve done a really great job. All the mechanics did such a great job in switching out the engine, making sure the car was as good as it could be.

“We struggled in the dry, but had a great start. But unfortunately, the rear tyres just ballooned and overheated, and I struggled.

“Then after that, I was pushing to go onto a slick, which I eventually got on, but I think one of the earlier ones, and was feeling pretty good. It was very tricky in those conditions. And then we ended up having an extra stop, which ultimately I had a lot of ground to cover from there.

“Then just at the end, the last message I got was that it was going to stay as this drizzle, and I was like, ‘Okay, this is my moment to keep pushing,’ because I could stay in those conditions. I didn’t hear that it was raining more in the first sector.

“I passed the pit lane, got to Turn 1, it was worse. So that unfortunately lost us a couple of spaces. But otherwise, the team did a great job.”