Why Hamilton’s Losail and Norris’s Jeddah false starts were treated differently

Lewis Hamilton received a penalty at the Qatar Grand Prix for a false start due to moving before the lights indicated the start of the race.

Despite the penalty, Hamilton experienced a challenging race, also receiving a penalty for speeding in the pits, but he remained optimistic, saying, “It could have been worse, but I finished and it’s over.”

There was some debate on social media regarding the consistency of penalty application, especially in comparison to Lando Norris’s lack of punishment for a similar incident at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Why was Hamilton penalised and Norris wasn’t?

At the previous race in Jeddah, Norris made a similar false start as Hamilton, but he wasn’t penalised. This was due to a technical issue with the FIA transponder not detecting the false start.

Subsequently, Hamilton was penalised at the Qatar Grand Prix as his transponder indicated a false start, which was confirmed by onboard camera footage.

What was different for Hamilton?

Unlike Norris, Hamilton’s false start was detected by the FIA transponder, leading to his penalty. This difference highlighted a change in regulations following the incidents, aiming for clearer rules on false starts.

Therefore, despite the discrepancies in penalties between Hamilton and Norris, the revised regulations would have ensured Hamilton’s penalty regardless.

This adjustment in the rules signified a learning opportunity for all parties involved, enhancing clarity and consistency in penalty application.