Hamilton commits a false start at his home race of all places—while the Briton himself searches for an explanation, Ferrari points to conflicting sensor data
The home Grand Prix at Silverstone began with a rare mistake for Lewis Hamilton, as the Ferrari driver received a five-second penalty for a false start. After the race, the seven-time world champion himself was puzzled as to the cause.
When asked what happened as the starting lights went out, Hamilton said: “My hand just moved. I really don’t know why. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even tell my hand to move. But things like that just happen.”
For Hamilton, the blunder was unusual. The 41-year-old Briton is considered a very experienced and skilled starter and almost never makes such mistakes. The unique circumstances may also have played a role: after securing pole position in Saturday’s sprint race and his first Ferrari victory in Barcelona just a few weeks earlier, Hamilton was particularly eager to impress at his home race—of all places—in front of a record crowd of 564,000 spectators over the entire race weekend.
Vasseur: Sensors Showed No Movement
However, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur questioned after the race just how clear-cut the false start actually was. “Based on the sensors, we don’t see that the car moved on the starting grid. But on the video footage, you can see that the sticker on the tires moves a little. But it’s not up to me to judge whether that was a false start or not.”
When asked whether he thought the race stewards’ decision was too harsh, Vasseur replied: “I think it’s a bit harsh if the sensors don’t show any movement. But I don’t want to comment on every decision—otherwise I’ll spend my whole life doing it.”
The incident was also discussed on German TV. During the analysis of the British Grand Prix, Sky expert Ralf Schumacher pointed out that Hamilton had already lost valuable time at the start of the race. “Not to mention the five seconds he blew at the start. It was, of course, a minor issue, but still. He’s very experienced. That wasn’t good either; he could have handled it a bit better.”
The five-second penalty set Hamilton back early in the race and hurt his chances of a top finish. In addition to the Ferrari driver’s false start, the race’s conclusion behind the safety car also sparked controversial discussions. The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps will provide the next opportunity for Hamilton and race officials to shift the focus back to the racing action.