Why was Hamilton penalised and not Leclerc?

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to 45 points.

Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell retired from the race following an opening-lap collision with Ferrari›s Lewis Hamilton.

Russell has now dropped to third in the standings, with Hamilton replacing him in second place after finishing fourth.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second behind Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium in third.

BBC Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers latest questions after the race at Spa-Francorchamps.

If Lewis Hamilton received a five-second time penalty for what appeared to me to be a racing incident between himself and George Russell, then how did Charles Leclerc get away with the Oscar Piastri incident where he clearly didn’t leave enough room for the McLaren driver? 

The stewards’ justifications for these two different incidents were based on a number of factors, many related to the Formula 1 drivers’ guidelines.

(BBC sport)