The controversy surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s collision with Oscar Piastri during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza continues to brew, with former Formula 1 team boss Paul Stoddart asserting that Hamilton should have been subjected to a more severe drive-through penalty for the incident.
In the latter stages of the race, Hamilton and Piastri found themselves locked in a fierce battle for eighth place.
The intense jostling between the two drivers ultimately led to a collision, forcing both cars onto the escape road.
Regrettably, it was Piastri who suffered the most significant consequences, requiring an unscheduled pit stop to replace his damaged front wing, effectively dashing his hopes of finishing within the points.
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Race officials subsequently penalised Lewis Hamilton with a five-second penalty, holding him responsible for the collision.
However, Hamilton managed to soldier on and secured a sixth-place finish, with his final position unaffected by the sanction.
After the race had concluded, Hamilton approached Piastri and offered a heartfelt apology for their collision, which the Australian driver graciously accepted.
Nevertheless, Paul Stoddart believes that the FIA should have imposed a stricter punishment on Hamilton given the circumstances.
Stoddart expressed his viewpoint, stating, “The punishment for Lewis Hamilton for his collision with Oscar Piastri was not enough. In such a situation where it was so clear, it should have been a drive-through penalty.
“It’s very difficult when you’re sitting in the stewards’ room and you’re trying to determine the right penalty.
“They’ve been pretty consistent with the five-second penalties, but there are times – and this was one of them – when five seconds isn’t good enough when you look at the other driver’s race.”
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Stoddart drew attention to Hamilton’s prior incidents, particularly referencing the 2021 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
In that race, Hamilton received a 10-second time penalty for his involvement in a collision with Max Verstappen, which left the Red Bull driver crashing into the barriers at a staggering 180mph.
The severity of the penalty in that case led to Red Bull’s displeasure, prompting them to launch a ‘petition for review’ seeking even harsher sanctions against Hamilton.