Lewis Hamilton Dealt Harshest Ever Penalty at Brazilian GP
Lewis Hamilton was once handed one of the harshest penalties in Formula 1 at the Brazilian Grand Prix, as the Briton looks to end his debut season with Ferrari on a high.
It has been difficult first year for Hamilton at the Scuderia, with the seven-time world champion yet to finish on the podium and only four races remaining on the calendar.
He will hope for more luck in Brazil, which has always been a special place for the Briton.
Back in 2008, it was the setting for Formula 1's most dramatic world championship finale, when Hamilton passed Timo Glock on the final lap to win the title by one point from Felipa Massa.
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Ferrari's garage had already started celebrating, and had not realised Hamilton had snatched the title with just a few corners left.
However, Brazil has also been the scene for some of Hamilton's toughest weekends, notably in 2021, when he received one of the toughest penalties of his career.
After taking pole in sprint qualifying, Hamilton was disqualified due to an infringement on his car's rear wing and forced to start from the back of the grid for the sprint race.
He delivered a superb drive, charging from 20th to fifth in just 24 laps.
Hamilton was then given a five-place grid penalty for the Grand Prix, after Mercedes took on a new internal combustion engine.
But he produced another masterful drive to win the Grand Prix by more than 10 seconds from his title rival Max Verstappen.
Hamilton went on to win the following two races in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to take the championship fight to the final race in Abu Dhabi.
But he was denied a record-breaking eighth world title in controversial circumstances, with the FIA even conducting an inquiry into the race.
Now, the 40-year-old will be focused on finishing his first season at Ferrari as strongly as possible.
He has not stood on the podium since the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year, where he finished third, while his wait for a race win stretches back to the Belgian Grand Prix.
His form has led to questions over whether he remains at the level he once was, including from former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.
According to planetf1, in an interview with sport.de, Ecclestone said: "Hamilton is one of the best of the last ten years, but he's not the best."
The 95-year-old added: “Everything is slipping away from him there. He wanted to become world champion there and is now surprised that he can’t do it.”
Ecclestone also criticised Hamilton and Ferrari, labelling them as a "financial marketing project."
Although Hamilton is not expected to be offered a new contract, his current deal runs until the end of next season.
Despite sitting 64 points behind his teammate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers' Standings, he still has the chance to remind everyone why he is one of the greatest ever drivers.
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1, Ferrari
James Taylor