Lewis Hamilton’s British GP Podium At Risk Following Second FIA Investigation
Key keywords: Lewis Hamilton, 2024 British Grand Prix, FIA F1 investigation, Silverstone Circuit, F1 podium risk, post-race technical scrutineering, track limits infringement, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton’s second-place finish at the 2024 British Grand Prix is at severe risk of being revoked, after the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) announced a second formal investigation into the British driver’s performance and car compliance on Monday, 24 hours after the chequered flag fell at Silverstone Circuit in front of a sold-out home crowd of 140,000 fans.
Hamilton, who had thrilled home supporters by climbing from fifth on the starting grid to second place by the final lap, was already the subject of a preliminary post-race investigation focused on alleged non-compliance of his Mercedes W15’s front wing endplate with 2024 F1 technical regulations. The first probe was closed late Sunday evening after Mercedes submitted telemetry and pre-race setup data that proved the component fell within allowed tolerances, leading fans to assume the podium result was finalized.
The unexpected second investigation was triggered by two separate discoveries during extended mandatory scrutineering: first, a review of unused car sensor data showed minor discrepancies in the floor edge height of Hamilton’s car during high-speed straights, which could potentially violate aerodynamic efficiency rules; second, the FIA confirmed its automatic track limits monitoring system suffered a temporary calibration error at Turn 9 between laps 47 and 58 of the 52-lap race, meaning multiple potential track limits violations by drivers were not flagged in real time. FIA officials have since obtained fan-submitted footage and circuit CCTV that appears to show Hamilton exceeding track limits at Turn 9 on at least four separate occasions during that window, with each unpunished violation potentially carrying a 5-second time penalty.
If the FIA rules against Hamilton, combined penalties could drop him as low as fifth in the final standings, stripping him of a home podium and handing third place to British compatriot Lando Norris of McLaren, and second place to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Mercedes has released a short statement confirming it is cooperating fully with the investigation, and will submit all relevant onboard telemetry and driver input data to prove Hamilton operated within all rules during the race. The FIA has confirmed it will release a final ruling before 12:00 GMT on Wednesday, ahead of the build-up to the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.
Featured Comments
I was in the grandstands at Silverstone when Hamilton crossed the line, and the roar from the crowd was something I’ll never forget. It would be absolutely devastating to have that moment taken away because of the FIA’s own faulty monitoring system and last-minute rule checks. Home podiums for Hamilton are so rare now with Mercedes’ current car performance, this would be such a gut punch for every British F1 fan.
As much as I respect Hamilton, the rules apply to every driver equally. If the evidence clearly shows he broke track limits repeatedly or his car was out of compliance, he has to take the penalty no matter how popular he is. The FIA can’t make exceptions for home favorites if they want to maintain the integrity of the sport.
This entire situation is a mess of the FIA’s own making. Their track limits system failed during the race, so now they’re digging through random fan footage to penalize drivers days after the event? Mercedes already proved their car was compliant in the first investigation, I fully expect them to clear Hamilton of all claims in this second probe too.
Honestly, even if Hamilton loses the podium, we still get a British driver on the steps with Lando Norris moving up – that’s a win for home fans either way. Both drivers had incredible races this weekend, and whoever ends up with the trophy deserves to celebrate their hard work.