Why was Hamilton penalised but not Leclerc? - F1 Q&A

After Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position, the weekend’s key talking point became how penalties were applied in separate incidents involving Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers’ standings to 45 points, while teammate George Russell retired after an opening-lap collision with Ferrari’s Hamilton. Hamilton finished fourth and moved to second in the standings; Leclerc placed second behind Antonelli and Max Verstappen took third. In a BBC Sport F1 Q&A, correspondent Andrew Benson explained that Hamilton received a five-second penalty rather than the standard 10 after stewards ruled Russell was “entitled to racing room” and that Hamilton was “wholly at fault,” with the reduction attributed to his attempt to leave space and avoid contact. For the Hamilton-free incident involving Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, stewards ruled Piastri lacked sufficient overlap for similar protection and judged Leclerc’s move as not deliberately crowding Piastri off track.