FIA Criticized After Hamilton’s Middle-Finger Gesture Draws No Penalty in Miami

Overview

• Lewis Hamilton and Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto touched on lap one, leaving Hamilton’s Ferrari with winglet and floor damage and an estimated 20 points of downforce lost.
• Onboard video later showed Hamilton raising a middle finger toward Colapinto, which was not on the live broadcast but spread widely on social media.
• The FIA, the sport’s governing body, did not investigate or penalize the gesture, prompting online criticism over inconsistent standards.
• GT driver Dani Juncadella pointed to his own fine for the same gesture at last year’s Bahrain endurance finale and noted prior FIA discipline for Max Verstappen’s swearing as signs of uneven enforcement.
• Despite the early damage, Hamilton was classified sixth after teammate Charles Leclerc received a 20-second post-race penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits late in the race.