Why Lewis Hamilton kept F1 British Grand Prix podium after infringement he expected to get penalty for

The FIA stewards have explained why Ferrari Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton kept his British Grand Prix podium at Silverstone despite a yellow flag infringement. 

Hamilton took third on the road after a dramatic British Grand Prix ended under a safety car in confusing circumstances, but the seven-time world champion faced the risk of losing his podium due to a post-race investigation.

The 41-year-old Briton himself said after the race that he was expecting to get a penalty after admitting he had not seen yellow flags when Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi conked out at the side of the track. 

"I'm probably going to get a penalty right now as well," Hamilton, who picked up a five-second time penalty for a false start, told Sky Sports F1. 

"I went through a yellow flag and I didn't see it. So it's another [penalty] - jump start, yellow flag. When it rains, it pours. 

"I've just been to see them [the stewards]. I don't have an answer yet. But most likely I'll probably get something. I'll probably get a penalty, I'm sure.”

But the stewards did not penalise Hamilton for the infringement, issuing him with a reprimand only. 

“The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), the team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry and in-car video evidence,” the stewards explained in their verdict. 

“HAM entered the relevant sector before any yellow flag or yellow light panel was displayed, with no such indication present before Turn 9. The first light panel encountered after Turn 9 was displaying green immediately before Turn 10. The yellow indication on the steering wheel display only appeared once the driver was already on the straight towards Turn 10 and close to the end of the yellow flag zone.

“The evidence showed that there was no yellow light panel warning within the driver’s immediate field of vision and that the yellow indication on the steering wheel display remained visible for only a very short period. The Stewards were therefore satisfied that the time available for the driver to react to the yellow flag indication was very limited.

“The Stewards also accept that, immediately prior to entering the sector, HAM had been involved in an overtaking manoeuvre with VER and that the driver was expecting a counter attack. As a result, his attention remained directed to his mirrors for most of the straight towards Turn 10, rather than immediately towards the green light panel at the end of the sector. The Stewards took this into account when considering whether the visibility of the green light panel should itself have made it clear to the driver that he was still within a yellow flag zone. 

“The Stewards nevertheless determine that, after the yellow had been displayed on the steering wheel display and the green light panel was illuminated immediately before Turn 10, HAM did not make a discernible reduction of speed and therefore did not fully comply with the requirements applicable under a single yellow flag.

“The Stewards In determining the penalty, the Stewards took into account that HAM had entered the sector before the yellow was shown, that the yellow indication reached the driver only when he was already near the end of the sector, that the time and distance available to react were very limited, and that the driver’s attention had, for understandable reasons, been occupied by the immediately preceding battle with another car. 

“In those circumstances, the Stewards considered that a Reprimand was the appropriate penalty.”