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Ferrari was issued a fine for an incident with Lewis Hamilton during qualifying in Qatar – the stewards have explained why.
The F1 stewards have clarified the reason behind Ferrari’s €5,000 fine for an incident in the pit lane involving Lewis Hamilton during qualifying in Qatar. Hamilton had to abruptly brake in the pit lane at the Lusail International Circuit when Carlos Sainz was released by Ferrari into his path. Normally, unsafe releases in the pit lane carry more weight during races but rarely lead to grid penalties for incidents during practice or qualifying. In this case, instead of a grid penalty, Ferrari was fined for the pit lane incident in Qatar. According to the stewards, the fine was imposed because Car 55 was released before the driver was fully prepared, causing a delay and requiring Hamilton to take evasive action. As a result, Hamilton will start the Qatar Grand Prix from sixth on the grid, with Sainz one position behind in seventh.
