Canadian sprint sees Hamilton cleared, Hulkenberg and Perez penalised
The FIA opened a post-race investigation into Lewis Hamilton following the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix Sprint to determine whether he had left the track and gained a sporting advantage. During the Sprint, Hamilton (Car 44) ran off at Turn 13/the final chicane while battling Oscar Piastri (Car 81) and rejoined ahead of him. Reviewing telemetry, video, and radio communications, the stewards concluded Hamilton had not gained a "lasting advantage" and declined to penalise him, noting that Piastri was not in an overtaking position when Hamilton rejoined and that Hamilton therefore wasn't considered to be defending when he ran through the chicane.
The decision contrasted with an earlier incident in the same Sprint involving Nico Hülkenberg, who left the track at Turn 13 while defending against Liam Lawson and rejoined ahead of him. The Audi driver received a 10-second time penalty after stewards judged he had "gained and retained a sporting advantage" — RaceFans reported the rejoin and failure to give the position back produced a "lasting sporting advantage." The stewards explained the differing outcomes by reference to whether a driver gained and retained a lasting sporting advantage and to the on-track context, such as whether an opponent was alongside or the driver was actively defending.
Hamilton ultimately lost fourth to Piastri on the final lap and was also passed by Charles Leclerc, finishing sixth in the 23-lap Sprint that was won by George Russell ahead of Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli. The Montreal Sprint produced several other steward decisions, including a 10-second penalty for Sergio Perez for forcing Liam Lawson off the track and an investigation into Esteban Ocon for a possible tyre-pressure infringement, per RaceFans.
