Hamilton urges FIA action after Baku near-miss with Lawson

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has called for clearer FIA guidance on closing speeds after a high-speed near-miss with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in second practice at Baku on 24 September 2026. In post-session remarks reported by RacingNews365 and RACER, Hamilton argued that drivers should use full power through Turns 18 and 19 even when otherwise completing a slow lap. That is his proposed remedy, not a confirmed rule change.

According to RACER, Hamilton said he initially believed a gap of about four seconds was sufficient. He wanted drivers to receive more precise information about how quickly another car could catch them when the two cars had different amounts of power available. His estimate of the gap has not been checked against telemetry.

Reprimand alongside safety concerns

RACER, The Race and Sky Sport Italia report that Hamilton received a reprimand for impeding Lawson. According to The Race, the stewards considered the obstruction severe despite finding no intention to block him. Energy-management difficulties raised by both drivers were taken into account when deciding the sanction; the reported absence of intent did not remove the impeding finding.

There were already traffic instructions for the final sector, according to RACER and The Race. The latter reports that drivers on slow laps were told to keep left on the approach to Turn 18 and manage their gaps to avoid being caught through the following bends. The publications describe different corner ranges, and the available FIA document extract does not contain the relevant wording.

RacingNews365 foregrounds Hamilton’s request for guidance, while The Race adds Lawson’s concern about the existing approach: slowing to let one fast car pass could leave a driver vulnerable to a second arriving immediately behind it. That supports a shared concern about traffic management, but does not establish that Hamilton’s full-power proposal would solve it.

Where the accounts differ

The reports do not give a consistent explanation of the sudden closing speed. RacingNews365 renders Hamilton’s account as Lawson’s car appearing to gain pace sharply; RACER and Grande Prêmio instead report Hamilton describing his own car losing power. Without the original recording or a complete transcript, that difference cannot be resolved. These are overlapping accounts of the same driver’s remarks, not independent measurements.

There is a technical distinction too: RACER describes Hamilton running out of electrical charge, whereas The Race describes a mode in which battery power was not being deployed. Those are not equivalent explanations, and neither report supplies the underlying telemetry needed to establish the precise cause.

Hamilton said he expected the proposal to be discussed at the drivers’ briefing. The available reports do not confirm that it has been adopted, or establish whether requiring full power through those corners would resolve the safety concern.