Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of a podium finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix were crushed in the final moments—and now a Formula 1 legend is weighing in. Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle didn’t mince words, describing the late penalty handed to the seven-time champion as “harsh.”
Hamilton was hit with a five-second time penalty near the end of the race for exceeding the pit lane speed limit by just 0.1 km/h. The infraction came after Ferrari called him in under a virtual safety car, swapping his old hard tires for fresh softs in a bold gamble that quickly backfired.
Instead of climbing the ranks, the penalty dropped Hamilton to fifth place in the final classification. He finished behind championship rival Kimi Antonelli and his own teammate Charles Leclerc—a gut-wrenching result for the Mercedes driver.
An official FIA document later confirmed Hamilton was only 0.1 km/h over the limit. That razor-thin margin made the punishment sting even more, especially as he continues to lose ground in the title fight.
Speaking after the race, Brundle acknowledged the rules were applied correctly but still called the penalty tough. “It’s like being a quarter of a kilo underweight,” he said. “You’re going to be aggrieved, but the rules are the rules.
There has to be a cutoff point—whether it’s the width of the car, the weight, or the speed in the pit lane. But yeah, it’s painful and it’s harsh.”
Brundle explained that letting even 0.1 km/h slide could open the door to bigger violations, making the strict enforcement necessary. Still, for Hamilton and his fans, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
As the championship battle heats up, one question lingers: will this tiny margin end up costing Hamilton more than just a single race result?
