Sometimes overtaking off track is allowed: stewards explain why Hamilton escaped a penalty
Eric Alonso/DPPI
Formula 1 drivers once had little reason to worry about the white lines. Times have changed, however, and those lines now play an important role not only in qualifying, but also in overtaking moves during races. Overtaking off the track is generally prohibited, but there are exceptions. The stewards applied one in Lewis Hamilton’s case.
Hamilton managed to climb from 20th to ninth in a single lap. However, he passed Ollie Bearman beyond the white line on the straight between Turns 5 and 6, prompting the stewards to investigate the move.
Ferrari, meanwhile, was deciding whether to instruct Hamilton to let Bearman back through or risk a penalty. Since Michael Masi’s time as race director, the FIA has no longer instructed teams to give positions back. To ensure no team is given an advantage, each must assess the situation and make its own decision, while also accepting the consequences. Maranello did not want to take the risk.
Hamilton also gave the position back because no one had come between him and Bearman, as had happened to his team-mate Leclerc in Mexico, for example. The positions were swapped on lap seven, just seconds before the stewards decided no further action was necessary.
In their verdict, they explained that Hamilton had not needed to let Bearman back through. In certain circumstances, overtaking beyond the white line does not breach the rules. “In defending the position, car 87 [Barman] moved to the right and car 44 [Hamilton] was pushed off the track to avoid a collision.”
The FIA concluded that Bearman would have lost the position even if he had continued straight and left Hamilton room. “Car 44 clearly had the momentum for the overtake and gained no advantage by going off the track.”
Hamilton was therefore cleared of any wrongdoing. “We also noted that the position was subsequently given back by car 44. We therefore took no further action.”
