Silverstone podium in jeopardy: Will Lewis Hamilton lose third place?

The home race at Silverstone had got off to such a good start for Lewis Hamilton: the record-holding Grand Prix winner, who – with nine victories at Silverstone – has more Grand Prix wins at this historic circuit than any other driver in Formula 1 history, secured pole position in the sprint qualifying session. However, that was the highlight of the weekend for the seven-time world champion.

In the Sprint race, he was beaten by Kimi Antonelli. His successor at Mercedes was simply too fast, the Briton explained after finishing the 17-lap race in second place. In the subsequent Grand Prix qualifying session, the local hero had to settle for third place, and he also finished the Grand Prix in third after an eventful race. However, he faces a penalty for disregarding yellow flags, which could prove costly.

This is because the ninth Grand Prix of the season ended behind the safety car, meaning the gaps between drivers were minimal. And should Hamilton receive a 5-second penalty, he will drop out of the points. The driver with 106 Grand Prix wins to his name does not, therefore, expect to retain his 16th Silverstone podium finish. After the chequered flag fell, the Ferrari star first congratulated his team-mate Charles Leclerc on his victory, which also marks the 250th Grand Prix triumph for the Scuderia from Maranello: “Congratulations to Charles, he’s done a brilliant job.”

Looking ahead to the investigation by the race stewards, which will take place immediately after the race, Hamilton said: “I’ll probably get a penalty. The FIA often has to take action. And I missed a yellow flag.” It wouldn’t be the first penalty the 41-year-old has received – he was already handed a five-second penalty during the race for jumping the start. “Misfortunes never come singly,” he sighed, adding: “I don’t yet know how the investigation will turn out. But I’ll probably receive a penalty – I’m sure of that.”

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