“We Turn Our Back on History”: Post $52,000 Penalty, Lewis Hamilton Schooled for Unforgivable Error by Ex-Ferrari Boss

For the longest time, Lewis Hamilton has said his dream is to race in South Africa. The thing is, Formula 1 has raced there before, but in all the times it has, there’s one year that stands out. One incident that is etched in F1 history as one of the most gruesome accidents to have happened. One incident that nobody has been able to get over. An incident that proved just how dangerous F1 is. An accident that highlighted the importance of safety, instruction, and protocol in F1. For someone who’s such a big advocate for the return of the South African GP, Hamilton should’ve known better than to risk a chance at history repeating itself.

At the Qatar GP, Hamilton and his teammate George Russell collided on the first lap, sending the seven-time champion into the gravel, effectively ending his race. Instead of waiting for the all-clear to cross the track, Hamilton strode to the pitlane when cars were on track. Now, he’s been called out by former Ferrari General Manager Peter Windsor.

Lewis Hamilton played with history in Qatar

Hamilton crossed the track prematurely. The FIA found his actions extremely dangerous. It handed him a $52,000 penalty. He accepted his fault. The case was closed. Until it wasn’t. The FIA reopened the case to reassess the severity of Hamilton’s actions. The statement said, “In view of his role model status, the FIA is concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers.” Peter Windsor addressed the issue in his preview of the US GP. He said, “I think the FIA is quite right to point out that as a former world champion, as a senior driver, he does need to set a responsibility.”

Windsor added, “I know he would’ve been thinking of a million other things, but we all remember what happened to Tom Pryce in South Africa. And I hope Lewis does as well.” The 1977 South African GP. Renzo Zozri pulled over on the side of the track, and his car caught on fire. Two marshals ran from the other side of the track—while cars were still zipping past at full speed—to help. But it was without permission. While one marshal narrowly escaped being run over, the other marshal with the fire extinguisher was hit by Tom Pryce’s car. He flew through the air and died on impact. The extinguisher struck Pryce’s head, and the Brit’s death was also instantaneous.

Safety in F1 has improved tenfold since then, but it doesn’t amount to much if rules aren’t followed. “The reason we have these rules today is because of everything that went before us. For those out there that say, ‘Oh, history is not important. It’s boring,’ I think we actually turn our back on history at our own peril,” Windsor concluded. Hamilton shouldn’t have crossed the track when he did, especially considering the 1977 South African GP. For Windsor, the FIA made the absolute right decision to revisit the penalty given to Hamilton. But there are others who may disagree with him.

Read More: “This Is Ridiculous”: Revisit of Lewis Hamilton’s $52,000 Penalty Due to Confusing Reasons Leaves Fans Fuming

Lewis Hamilton’s “role model status” baffled many people

As per the FIA spokesperson’s statement, “In view of [Hamilton’s] role model status, the FIA is concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers.” First, what do they mean by “role model status.” Windsor may argue that it means Hamilton is a senior driver, having spent 17 years in the sport. But how does the FIA define a role model? A driver’s career length? Their accomplishments—podiums, wins, championships? Along with that ambiguity, many Hamilton fans even called the FIA out for its PR stunt to clear its name by emphasizing that it wants to look out for the younger drivers.

F1 pundit Karun Chandok wrote on X, “Not saying [Hamilton’s actions] should be condoned, but I’m sure Lewis isn’t the first person to do this… Didn’t Sargeant cross the track just at the previous event in Japan? Bit odd to talk about precedent when other people have done it before.” After crashing in qualifying at the Japanese GP on the last corner, Sergeant got out of his car, crossed the track, and entered the pitlane. At the 2021 Italian GP, after Max Verstappen and Hamilton crashed, Verstappen walked onto the track during the Safety Car period. Wasn’t that the same thing Hamilton did in Qatar? So why the singling out and the penalty?

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What are your thoughts on the FIA revisiting the reprimand handed to Lewis Hamilton?