Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton could be gifted P2 in Hungary

Third place finisher Lewis Hamilton could see his result become a runner-up finish if Sebastian Vettel is disqualified from Sunday’s Formula 1 race.

Lewis Hamilton’s Hungarian Grand Prix recovery drive may not have actually ended when the checkered flag flew on the 2021 Formula 1 season’s 11th race.

Hamilton was able to rally from 14th place to third after what turned out to be a mistake in staying out on intermediate tires as opposed to pitting for slick tires. Everybody else came into the pits for a tire change before the restart which followed the red flag period that stemmed from the mayhem in turn one on the opening lap.

Hamilton was the only driver who actually restarted the race on the grid, and he had to pit the next lap, thus dropping to last place among the 14 cars not affected by the lap one chaos.

That third place finish, however, may become one spot better.

The Mercedes driver could very well find himself as the Hungarian Grand Prix runner-up, as Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, who crossed the line in second place behind race winner Esteban Ocon of Alpine, is at risk of being disqualified after his team failed to provide an adequate fuel sample following the race.

Here is what the official Formula 1 website has to say about the issue:

"“Under the technical regulations, competitors must ensure that a 1.0 liter sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time during the event. However, after Sunday’s Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, [FIA Technical Delegate Jo] Bauer said: ‘It was possible to take only a 0.3 liter sample’ from Vettel’s car.”"

After taking the checkered flag 1.859 seconds behind Ocon and 0.877 seconds ahead of Hamilton, Vettel ultimately parked his car on the cooldown lap before running back to Parc Ferme.

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Of course, Hamilton wouldn’t be the only driver receiving the gift of a free position if Vettel is disqualified from the race.

All the other drivers who finished below Vettel would gain a spot, meaning that the fourth through 11th place finishers would all end up with more points than the amounts with which they originally finished the race as well. But Hamilton would be the key beneficiary of the stewards’ decision because of the impact the decision would have on the championship battle.

Among the other drivers who would derive an advantage from this decision is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the driver from whom Hamilton took the championship lead following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Verstappen finished the race in 10th place and would move to ninth if Vettel is disqualified, thus scoring two points instead of one.

However, it wouldn’t really be an “advantage”.

With Hamilton moving from third to second place, he would score 18 points instead of 15 and thus gain three points. With Verstappen only gaining one point, this would be a net two-point gain for the seven-time world champion in the title battle. Given the fact that the gap between the two title contenders in the driver standings is currently just six points, this gain would grow Hamilton’s lead by 33%.