Hamilton avoids penalty for Turn 2 rules breach
Lewis Hamilton has avoided a sanction for a rules breach when rejoining the track at Turn 2 during qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix, ensuring he keeps pole position.
Hamilton scored the 96th pole position of his F1 career in qualifying at the Sochi Autodrom on Saturday, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by half a second.
But the FIA stewards said during qualifying that Hamilton faced an investigation after failing to adhere to race director Michael Masi's instructions when rejoining the track at Turn 2.
Masi informed drivers in his pre-race event notes that they must weave between some bright orange bollards in the run-off area if they missed the Turn 2 apex, before rejoining the track slowly.
Hamilton failed to navigate the defined escape route in qualifying, prompting him to be investigated along with Williams' Nicholas Latifi and the Haas pair of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean.
The stewards said in a bulletin issued after qualifying that Hamilton accepted he had not followed the instructions set out by Masi, but gained no advantage and did rejoin the track safely, thus escaping a penalty.
"The driver accepted that he had not followed the instructions and further he accepted that in a race there would be a penalty," the stewards wrote.
"The stewards determined that there was no advantage, as the relevant lap time was deleted.
"Furthermore, to be consistent with previous decisions, the Stewards considered the precedents set out in the 2018 Spanish Gran Prix and the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix."
A similar notice was issued clearing Latifi, Magnussen and Grosjean as well, with all drivers being reminded that such a breach in the race would land them a five-second time penalty.
The FIA has traditionally been strict on track limits at Sochi due to the significant amount of run-off area, prompting it to install the escape route at Turn 2 before leading into the fast left-hander at Turn 3.
Hamilton almost failed to set a time in Q2 after running wide at Turn 18 on his first lap that was subsequently deleted for exceeding track limits.
The Mercedes driver went on to make it through to Q3 before scoring pole position ahead of Verstappen and teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Related video
Previous article
Albon finds gap to Verstappen in Russia "a bit confusing"
Next article
2020 F1 Russian Grand Prix qualifying results, full grid lineup
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Russian GP |
| Drivers | Lewis Hamilton |
| Author | Luke Smith |
Back to Work | Valtteri Bottas' 2021 Seat Fit
F1 Explained | Mercedes Power Unit
How McLaren F1’s new investors have already made an impact
The deal McLaren concluded with MSP Sports Capital last year which will help the cash-strapped Formula 1 team pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, also points toward the future for F1 itself, says GP Racing's Stuart Codling.
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
