Lewis Hamilton has faced an unprecedented wave of penalties over the last three Formula 1 race weekends, receiving four in total. This surge has significantly impacted his title chase, leaving him 50 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers' Championship after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton's latest penalty for speeding in the pit lane during the Hungarian Grand Prix has led him to express frustration on team radio, claiming that the stewards are "handing out penalties like crazy."

Breakdown of Recent Penalties:

• British Grand Prix:

  • Finishing Position: Third
  • Points Lost: Likely none
  • A five-second penalty for jumping the start, which Hamilton deemed harsh given inconsistencies in past rulings.

• Belgian Grand Prix:

  • Finishing Position: Fourth
  • Points Lost: Up to six
  • Penalized for colliding with George Russell, who described the incident as a racing one.

• Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying:

  • Starting Position: Fifth
  • Impact: Potential to lead race
  • Received a three-grid place penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri due to a communication error.

• Hungarian Grand Prix:

  • Finishing Position: Fourth
  • Points Lost: Up to three
  • Exceeded the pit lane speed limit by 0.1kph while trying to beat Antonelli on the merge.

Hamilton emphasized the need for both himself and Ferrari to minimize unforced errors moving forward. He acknowledged that despite only losing six points from penalties, the impact of the impeding incident in qualifying was particularly detrimental, as a better starting position could have led to a race win.

I’ll work hard to try and come back. There’s still a lot of positives to take,