Hamilton hit with three-place grid penalty for Dutch Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has been given a three-place grid penalty for the Dutch Grand Prix after the stewards deemed that he had unnecessarily impeded the Red Bull of Sergio Perez during the opening segment of today’s qualifying.

The stewards noted a potential impeding incident between Hamilton and Perez in Q1, with the Red Bull driver having to lift after encountering the slow-moving Mercedes.

Hamilton's penalty comes after a miserable Saturday in Zandvoort for the seven-time world champion, who suffered a shock Q2 exit not long after his impeding offence.

The three-place penalty would have put Hamilton back to P15 on the grid, but the disqualification of Alexander Albon means that he will line up a place higher up on the grid.

Reflecting on his difficult qualifying session, Hamilton noted that while the balance of his W15 felt okey in the opnening session, it slipped away from him in the second segment.

“Today was frustrating. We had been looking good throughout the weekend and in Q1, I was pleased with the balance of the car. Unfortunately, we struggled more in Q2, and it slipped through our fingers.

“I couldn’t go any faster than I did on my final lap and that wasn’t enough to get us through. These things happen but ultimately, I didn’t do a good enough job. I will push to get as many points as we can tomorrow and enjoy myself out there.”