Summary
- Hamilton received a warning, with Ferrari fined following the incident.
- The decision does not impose a grid penalty on Hamilton for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
- Bortoleto had to change direction to avoid the slow-moving Ferrari during FP2.
Lewis Hamilton has avoided a grid penalty following his incident with Gabriel Bortoleto in Friday’s second Formula 1 practice session at Sepang. Hamilton received a warning, while Ferrari was fined, bringing the investigation to a conclusion.
The outcome leaves Hamilton without a starting-position penalty for this incident ahead of Saturday’s qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. It follows a close encounter in which Bortoleto had to take avoiding action after approaching the Ferrari.
Bortoleto forced to avoid Hamilton
The incident occurred on the approach to Turn 9, with Hamilton moving slowly as Bortoleto approached. The Audi driver reacted angrily over the radio after changing direction to avoid him.
Hamilton subsequently reported difficulty seeing through his right-hand mirror. Race control referred the incident to the stewards for investigation after the session.
The encounter was covered in the report on Bortoleto’s reaction to Hamilton during FP2. The new development is the disciplinary outcome, rather than another unresolved investigation.
Warning for Hamilton, fine for Ferrari
The distinction between the two sanctions matters. Hamilton received a warning, while the financial punishment was directed at Ferrari.
Neither sanction moves Hamilton down the grid for this incident. His starting position will depend on Saturday’s qualifying and any other applicable decisions.
Hamilton finished FP2 fifth, behind teammate Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Bortoleto placed 12th before stopping on track near the end of the session, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Qualifying follows on Saturday
Drivers return for FP3 at 12:30 local time on Saturday, followed by qualifying at 16:00. Ferrari heads into that session after Leclerc’s afternoon benchmark of 1:37.528, although Verstappen retained Friday’s fastest lap from FP1.
Formula 1 continues this weekend, from 2–4 October, in Malaysia, which hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Sepang.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is F1 qualifying at Sepang?
Qualifying starts on Saturday, 3 October, at 16:00 Malaysia time. That is 09:00 BST in the UK, 04:00 EDT in New York and Toronto, 01:00 PDT in Los Angeles and Vancouver, 13:30 IST in India and 18:00 AEST in Sydney.
Did Lewis Hamilton receive a grid penalty for the Bortoleto incident?
No. Hamilton received a warning after impeding Gabriel Bortoleto during FP2 at Sepang. Ferrari was fined €10,000, but Hamilton will not lose grid positions over the incident.
Why were F1 lap times at Sepang over four seconds slower than expected?
Pirelli identified low grip, dust and an abrasive surface that increased tyre sliding and degradation. Friday’s benchmark was more than four seconds slower than its qualifying simulation reference, rather than four seconds slower than the 2017 race weekend.
Did Hamilton receive a grid penalty for the Bortoleto incident?
No. Hamilton received a warning, so this incident does not cost him starting positions at Sepang.
