Hamilton Handed Warning After Tricky Practice Session in Austria

Lewis Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari continued to show growing pains on Friday after the seven-time world champion received a formal warning during second practice for the Austrian Grand Prix. He finished the session 10th overall, while battling gearbox issues and adjusting to a new floor design on his SF-24.

Hamilton was flagged for impeding Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli at turn four of the high-speed Red Bull Ring. The incident unfolded as Hamilton, on a slow lap, crested a hill and inadvertently drifted into the racing line, just as Antonelli approached. The Briton quickly raised his hand in apology, acknowledging the mistake on track and later explained to stewards that he hadn’t seen the Italian coming.

Following a review, officials opted for a formal warning, typical for such infractions during practice, making it Hamilton’s third of the season. The stewards noted that despite Hamilton checking his mirrors after being alerted by his team, he “unnecessarily impeded” Antonelli, who had to take evasive action.Earlier this season, Hamilton was handed a three-place grid penalty in Monaco after a miscommunication from his race engineer led him to block Max Verstappen during qualifying.

While Hamilton struggled with setup and technical issues in Austria, his teammate Charles Leclerc managed a more solid session, placing fifth and just over six-tenths behind pace-setter Lando Norris I’m the McLaren.