Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen hit with huge penalties in Miami sprint

Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen both received big penalties in the Miami sprint race.

Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 on the grid. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 6, Miami Grand Prix, Miami, Florida,
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 on the grid. Formula 1 World…

Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen were hit with big penalties that cost them points in the F1 Miami Grand Prix sprint race.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton finished eighth on the road and appeared to have secured the final point on offer in Miami, only to be hit with a drive-through penalty after the race.

With Hamilton unable to serve the punishment, it was converted into a 20-second time penalty, dropping the Briton down to 16th.

It capped off a hugely frustrating race for the Mercedes driver, who spent much of the 19 laps trying to get past Magnussen’s Haas.

Magnussen aggressively defended to help Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg seal some important points in seventh, but in doing so picked up three separate penalties.

First, Magnussen received a 10-second penalty for cutting the chicane to stay ahead of Hamilton.

Magnussen got another two 10-second penalties for leaving the track and gaining an advantage for a second and third time.

Finally, Magnussen was slapped with a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, taking his collective penalty time up to 35-seconds.

Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Haas VF-24 and Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W15 at the start of Sprint. Formula 1 World
Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Haas VF-24 and Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1…

That saw the Dane fall from 10th down to 18th and last of the classified finishers.

Magnussen admitted all of his penalties were “deserved” but stressed he had to play the team game.

"All the penalties were well deserved - no doubt about it,” Magnussen told Sky. "But I had to play the game again.

"I was in a very good position behind there. In the beginning of the race I gained a lot of positions and was up in P8.

"I was protecting well from Lewis because I had the DRS from Nico and I had good pace.

"Then Nico cut the chicane and I lost the DRS. Nico could have given that back to give me the DRS to protect because then we would have easily been P7 and P8.

"Instead I was really vulnerable to Lewis. Started fighting with him like crazy and I had to just create the gap like I did in Jeddah.

"I started using these stupid tactics which I don't like doing, but the end of the day I did my job as a team player and Nico scored his points because I got that gap for him so Lewis and Tsunoda couldn't catch him.

"Not the way I like to go racing at all but it was what I had to do today."

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