© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Although Lewis Hamilton agrees with his stop-and-go penalty at the Italian Grand Prix, he believes the rule could be made “better for the future”.
The Briton received a 10 second stop-and-go penalty after entering the pitlane while it was closed. This put him almost 30 seconds behind the pack and ultimately cost him a race win.
While Hamilton agrees with the stewards’ ruling, he believes the penalty could be “refined” in the future.
“I spoke to the team and they said that this was the penalty they had agreed or something like that,” the Briton said.
“I think, ultimately, a stop-and-go penalty often would come if you have done something intentional, if you were driving dramatically and put someone in danger maybe.
“Having experienced it, and ultimately [it] almost put you out of the race 30 seconds behind the last car, it is obviously not the greatest thing for racing.
“There is obviously the other side of things where we could have had a free stop, which no one else got to do, so I do understand it.
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“I don’t know if they can refine it, make it better for the future. Because you have to take it two laps after the race starts so you can’t get a gap from anybody and you will always come out 30 seconds, or whatever it is, behind.
“I reckon they could do a better job, I will have to look back at it but I accept it and move forwards.”
However Hamilton also received two penalty points on his Super Licence for his transgression. This brings his one-year total up to eight points. If a driver accumulates 12 points during a 12-month period, he gets a one-race ban.
Lewis Hamilton received his existing penalty points for two incidents with Alex Albon in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix and this year’s Austrian Grand Prix. If he picks up another four points in the next six Grands Prix, he will receive the aforementioned ban.
