Hamilton summoned by stewards following Baku impeding incident

Lewis Hamilton has been called to meet with the Formula 1 stewards following an incident during the second practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver is facing scrutiny after allegedly impeding Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson during the session in Baku.

The Incident in Turn 19

The conflict occurred in the final sector of the Baku City Circuit. While Lawson was on a hot lap, Hamilton was caught harvesting energy through the sector. This led to a dramatic closing speed that forced the Kiwi driver into avoidant action at the penultimate corner. Lawson was immediately vocal on team radio, expressing his frustration.

If the stewards find Hamilton in breach of the regulations, the seven-time world champion could face a grid penalty for the upcoming race.

Energy Management and Regulatory Uncertainty

The incident highlights the complexities introduced by the new-for-2026 regulations, where managing electric power has become a critical performance factor. The increased closing speeds between cars in different states of battery charge present a fresh challenge for drivers.

Hamilton addressed the situation following FP2, suggesting that the current regulatory framework lacks the necessary clarity for drivers to manage these speed differentials safely.

“With the rules that the FIA gave us this year, when you come into the weekend, there's no data or simulations to say, 'okay, when you come to the last corner and you go to full throttle and you have 500bhp less than the car behind you on the lap, this is the gap you need to have,'” Hamilton explained.

The Mercedes driver noted that while he believed he had a sufficient gap, the sudden loss of power during energy harvesting caused the gap to vanish instantly.

“Literally as I got into [Turn] 18, the car just died. Swamped up the gap massively and that could happen to anyone,” he added, calling for clearer guidelines to ensure no driver unintentionally interferes with another. Liam Lawson's racing bulls performance remains a key point of interest as the championship intensifies.