Former F1 driver Martin Brundle has expressed his disappointment with the penalty given to Lewis Hamilton during the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint race. Brundle considers the collision between Hamilton and Sergio Perez as a racing incident rather than a deliberate foul play.
The incident occurred as Hamilton and Perez battled for fourth position at Stavelot during the Sprint race at Spa. Their cars made contact, and Perez suffered a significant loss of pace, ultimately leading to his retirement from the race after running into the gravel.
Despite finishing fourth on the road, Hamilton was handed a five-second time penalty for causing the collision, which pushed him back to seventh place in the final classification.
Brundle, who was providing live commentary for Sky Sports F1, expressed his surprise and disagreement with the stewards’ decision during the race. After analyzing the incident again, he reiterated his stance, stating that the penalty was harsh given the nature of the incident.
Brundle pointed out that Hamilton had claimed the corner and was on the inside, while acknowledging that the car understeered a bit. He described the situation as a racing incident rather than a deliberate and reckless move by Hamilton.
While Brundle understood that the effect on Perez’s race may have influenced the stewards’ decision, he maintained that the collision was a result of racing, and Hamilton couldn’t have simply disappeared from the situation once he had committed to the corner.
Overall, Brundle believes that the incident should have been treated as a racing incident, with no deliberate intent from Hamilton to cause harm or gain an unfair advantage. The penalty given to the Mercedes driver resulted in a disappointment for him and his fans, but it also highlights the complexity of making judgments in high-speed racing situations.
