Why was Lewis Hamilton not given a penalty for impeding Lance Stroll at the 2023 F1 Canadian GP?

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton had an incident with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll during the qualifying session for the 2023 F1 Canadian GP. The Briton impeded the Canadian driver but was not penalized for his actions, while Carlos Sainz and Stroll received penalties for the same.

So why was Hamilton not given a penalty?

Drivers are not given penalties if neither they themselves nor the driver they impeded were on push laps. A push lap is when a driver pushes his car to the maximum in qualifying conditions in order to set the fastest time possible.

Since Hamilton and Stroll were preparing their tires and batteries for a push lap, they were driving at relatively slow speeds.

The pair nearly came together at the hairpin leading into the back straight. Thankfully, Lewis Hamilton was able to spot the home hero in time and swerved out of the way.

Drivers are expected to give faster drivers a clear track to push as hard as possible. However, the FIA will not penalize drivers for impeding each other when preparing for a push lap.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz and Stroll (on separate occasions) were found guilty of impeding other drivers who were on push laps, leading to grid penalties ahead of Sunday's main race.

---

Lewis Hamilton hopes to take the battle to Fernando Alonso in Canada

Lewis Hamilton is preparing for an intense battle with Fernando Alonso at the Canadian Grand Prix. Following his qualifying performance, where he achieved fourth place, Hamilton is determined to challenge his former McLaren teammate and secure a place on the podium.

During the qualifying session in Montreal, Hamilton skillfully navigated the changing weather conditions, which included a mix of rain and dry spells. As a result, he secured fourth position on Saturday afternoon.

However, much to the delight of the seven-time world champion, second-placed Nico Hulkenberg received a grid penalty for failing to slow down under red flags, meaning that Hamilton will start in P3.

The Mercedes driver will start on the rear wing of his long-time rival Fernando Alonso, who was promoted to second place after Hulkenberg's grid drop.

Speaking about his expectations from the upcoming race, Lewis Hamilton said:

“We are ahead of the Ferraris. Max will be gone most likely. But if I can hold on to Alonso and give him hell, that’s what I’ll do,"

With the 2023 F1 Canadian GP set to take place in a few hours, it will be interesting to watch the two rivals battle it out.