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Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton received a formal warning from the stewards following an incident with Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto during practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia's Sepang circuit. Meanwhile, Ferrari were handed a €10,000 fine for failing to alert their driver over team radio in a timely manner.
The incident took place midway through the second free practice session under scorching conditions. Hamilton impeded Bortoleto on the entry to Turn 9 after suffering damage to his right-hand mirror. With a closing speed difference exceeding 150 km/h, the Brazilian was forced to take sharp evasive action to avoid a heavy collision.
After reviewing video and photographic evidence, the FIA stewards decided against imposing a harsher penalty on the Briton, but penalized the Scuderia for a lack of communication with their driver.
"The stewards accept that Hamilton's right-hand mirror was broken, as confirmed by the evidence, and that he received no warning from the pit wall over the radio. Representatives from both teams stated that such calls are not typically made when the approaching car is not on a flying lap. Bortoleto also confirmed he remained in control of the situation. Nevertheless, the stewards consider that Hamilton unnecessarily impeded a significantly faster car by moving onto the racing line at low speed," the official decision stated.
The FIA emphasized that a damaged mirror demands extra caution from a driver before rejoining the racing line, but cited the fact that Bortoleto was not on a flying lap as a mitigating factor. However, the primary responsibility fell on Ferrari, who should have warned Hamilton about the oncoming traffic.
On track, Hamilton concluded Friday's free practice in fifth place. His teammate Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets, followed by Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and reigning world champion Lando Norris in the McLaren.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur commented on the team's performance following the Friday sessions:
"Friday's standings don't mean a great deal, but being on top is never a bad thing, so it was a decent day overall. The main focus will be on track evolution and trying to anticipate tomorrow's conditions. It's a massive challenge for everyone, with tyre degradation being exceptionally high compared to previous races. Tyre wear is going to dictate race pace on Sunday."
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