Ferrari fined €30,000 for Hamilton's unsafe pit release in Belgian GP

Ferrari have been fined €30,000 after Lewis Hamilton was unsafely released from his pit box during the Belgian Grand Prix, with the stewards clearing the driver of any blame, as reported by [Formula 1](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/hamilton-penalty-for-unsafe-pit-release-in-belgian-grand-prix-confirmed.p8ItnzotleVFVAU50e08T).

The incident occurred on Lap 20 of Sunday's race at Spa-Francorchamps. Hamilton, already carrying a five-second penalty for first-lap contact with Mercedes' George Russell, pitted under the Virtual Safety Car. After serving the penalty and taking on a fresh set of tyres, the Ferrari was released — but a mechanic operating a front-wing tool stepped into the path of the front-right tyre. The mechanic was struck and fell to the floor but was not injured, and Hamilton stopped immediately until he was clear.

The stewards investigated the unsafe release after the race and handed Ferrari a €30,000 fine, of which €10,000 is suspended for 12 months. Their document noted the team accepted the release was "unsafe" and attributed the error to a late wing-adjustment instruction, unclear communication and the mechanic failing to see the green light. Ferrari committed to reviewing its pit-stop procedures.

Crucially, Hamilton himself was not at fault. The stewards ruled the incident "did not justify a sporting penalty" against the driver, though it "did justify a significant fine" for the team. The suspended portion of the fine is conditional on Ferrari avoiding a similar infringement within 12 months and submitting a report to the FIA on the new protocols.

The episode adds an awkward postscript to Hamilton's Belgian weekend, though it costs him no further time — the five-second penalty he was already serving was unaffected by the pit-stop error.

Sources

• Formula 1