Formula 1 stewards have penalised Lewis Hamilton with a five-position grid drop for next weekend's Italian Grand Prix following safety protocol violations at Zandvoort.
The seven-time champion breached regulations during reconnaissance laps before Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix by not adequately reducing speed through double yellow flag zones.
Officials determined Hamilton's speed decrease of 20kph fell short of the "significantly" reduced speed required when double yellows are displayed.
The infringement occurred at the final corner approaching the pit lane, where marshals had deployed double yellow flags to safeguard personnel preparing the grid area before race start.
Lewis Hamilton has received a five-position grid penalty from Formula 1 stewards
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The stewards' investigation revealed Hamilton entered the double yellow zone travelling merely 20kph slower than his practice session speeds, but this was not deemed as enough of an adjustment.
Additionally, when approaching pit entry, Hamilton lifted and applied brakes just 70 metres earlier than usual, which officials deemed insufficient compliance with Article 44.1 requiring "greatly reduced speed".
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"We did not consider that a 20kph reduction in speed at a double waved yellow sector constituted reducing speed 'significantly'," the stewards stated in their official verdict.
The penalty compounds what proved a disastrous afternoon for Hamilton at Zandvoort, where he suffered his first retirement since joining Ferrari.
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Running in seventh position on lap 23, the 40-year-old lost control at Turn 3 after venturing onto a painted run-off area where reduced grip sent his car sliding into the barriers.
The impact severed the front-right wheel from his Ferrari, immediately ending his race and marking a second consecutive finish outside the points.
The crash represented an uncharacteristic error from Hamilton, who had qualified seventh alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc in sixth before the race began.
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The penalty represents a significant setback for Ferrari's home event at Monza, where Hamilton will start no lower than sixth position regardless of qualifying performance.
Standard regulations typically impose 10-place grid drops for such safety violations, but stewards acknowledged Hamilton's attempts to reduce speed as mitigating circumstances, resulting in the lesser sanction.
Beyond the grid penalty, Hamilton received two penalty points on his superlicence, adding to his disciplinary record.
The timing proves particularly unfortunate for Ferrari, with both drivers failing to finish at Zandvoort after Charles Leclerc also retired following contact, tightening the constructors' championship battle with nine races remaining.