F1 Announces Punishment for Lewis Hamilton at Brazil GP

The 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix delivered yet another twist when stewards announced a five-second time penalty for Lewis Hamilton following his collision with Alpine rookies Franco Colapinto during the early stages of the race.

Hamilton, who started from mid-pack after a difficult qualifying session, was fighting through traffic when he tangled with Colapinto heading into turn 10. The pair made light contact, but it was enough for the stewards to take a note and review. 

After examining the footage, the FIA deemed Hamiton “predominantly at fault” for the collision, issuing a five-second penalty for causing an avoidable incident. 

A Costly Error for Hamilton and Ferrari

The Ferrari driver had been fighting to recover positions after a frustrating start to the weekend, but his race quickly unraveled following contact with Franco Colapinto. 

The incident damaged the front wing of Hamilton’s car, forcing him to pit under the ensuing Safety Car for a nose change. But the problems didn’t stop there, a closer look revealed floor damage as well, leaving Hamilton struggling with a lack of grip and straight-line speed for the remainder of his stint. 

Despite his best efforts, Hamilton was unable to make progress through the field, spending most of the race stuck at the back and unable to challenge for points. Eventually, Ferrari made the difficult call to retire his car, ending what was one of the team’s most disappointing weekends of the season.