Hamilton learns fate after stewards’ investigation

Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment for an unsafe release during the final part of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, but Mercedes has been fined €5,000 for the incident.

The decision was made following an investigation by the stewards at the Red Bull Ring, which found that the team had breached Article 34.14a of the FIA ​​Sporting Rules.

The accompanying clause states that “cars must not be removed from a garage or pit stop position in a manner that could endanger pit lane personnel or any other person”.

Hamilton qualified fifth in the Styrian hills, six-tenths behind polesitter Max Verstappen in his Red Bull, and just 0.063 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who now leads 9-2 in head-to-head clashes this season.

When Hamilton set out for his first run in Q3, he dragged along a hose attached to the back of the exhaust to release gases from the garage, and its associated cart.

A statement from the stewards said: “The stewards listened to the team representative and reviewed video footage.

“Car 44 was removed from the garage in an unsafe manner, with a jack and an exhaust gas cleaner being dragged behind it. The stewards acknowledge that the team immediately asked the driver to stop to avoid further damage and/or dangerous situations.”