During the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race, Lewis Hamilton was penalized with a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Sergio Perez. Hamilton attempted to overtake Perez at an unconventional spot through Stavelot, but the two made contact, resulting in damage to Perez’s car.
The collision had a significant impact on both drivers’ races. Perez dropped down the field before Red Bull decided to retire his car due to the damage caused by the incident. As a result of the collision, Hamilton was awarded two penalty points on his super licence.
Despite crossing the finish line in fourth place, the five-second penalty applied to Hamilton’s total race time dropped him down to seventh in the final classification. The shortened sprint race had only 11 laps due to rain interruptions, leading to tight gaps between drivers on track.
