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The 2023 Belgian Grand Prix witnessed intense drama and controversy as Lewis Hamilton found an unlikely ally in the form of a steward during Saturday's sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps.
The incident in question involved a clash between Hamilton and Red Bull's Sergio Perez, resulting in the British racing star being penalized not once, but twice. However, whispers have emerged that not all the stewards were on board with the decision, and one steward, Derek Warwick, reportedly 'pleaded' for the collision to be labeled a racing incident.
During the sprint race, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez engaged in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle, as the seven-time world champion attempted to overtake the Mexican driver.
In a daring maneuver, Hamilton managed to edge past Perez, but in the process, made contact with the sidepod of the Red Bull, causing damage and forcing Perez into the pits for an early retirement from the race.
The incident did not go unnoticed by the stewards, who imposed a five-second penalty on Lewis Hamilton, pushing him down to the seventh position on the grid. Additionally, he received two penalty points on his racing license, further infuriating the Mercedes fans.
However, not everyone in the stewarding team was in agreement with the harsh penalties. F1 journalist Michael Schmidt revealed that Derek Warwick, one of the race stewards present at Spa, vehemently advocated for the incident to be labeled as a mere racing incident.
"Actually pleaded for racing incident, and he's actually a tough guy," Schmidt shared about his conversation with Warwick. "I was talking to [him] yesterday on the grid and Warwick said, 'Well, you know, there are four stewards here, not all of them were in favor.'"
While it's common for fans to show fervent support for their favorite drivers, the incident took a dark turn when some Lewis Hamilton fans targeted Derek Warwick with abusive and vitriolic messages on social media following the race.
Prominent figures react to Lewis Hamilton's controversial penalty at Spa
The decision to penalize the seven-time world champion for the incident with Sergio Perez at Spa-Francorchamps didn't sit well with many prominent figures in the F1 world.
Among those dissenting voices was Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, who vehemently defended his driver, labeling the incident as an 'absolute racing incident'.
Speaking to the media, Wolff expressed his frustration with the stewards' decision, arguing that in a sprint race, fans expect to witness competitive racing, not penalties that drastically alter the outcome of the race.
"This is a sprint race. We want to see them racing, and the argument of the damage isn't valid because he [Perez] was going backward before then. Massively backward," Wolff asserted.
Support for Lewis Hamilton's case extended beyond the Mercedes garage, as renowned F1 pundit and commentator Martin Brundle also chimed in with his analysis. Brundle concluded that it was, indeed, a racing incident.
"I thought it was a racing incident, and thought the penalty was harsh," he stated unequivocally.
Further elaborating on his stance, Brundle pointed out that Hamilton had rightfully claimed the corner and that Perez had committed an error before the corner, putting him on the inside of the track.
"Lewis had claimed the corner, there was an error before the corner by Perez and he was on the inside," stated Brundle following the race.
