Hamilton Drops to Seventh with Monaco GP Grid Penalty After Verstappen Clash

Lewis Hamilton received a three-place grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix after an incident in Q1 qualifying where he impeded Max Verstappen at turn three. The penalty dropped Hamilton from fourth to seventh on the starting grid, promoting Verstappen to fourth. The issue arose due to a miscommunication from Hamilton's race engineer, who incorrectly informed him that Verstappen was on a slow lap when the Red Bull driver was actually on a push lap, leading Hamilton to fail to yield properly. Both drivers expressed frustration over the incident, but Verstappen later acknowledged it was a team error rather than Hamilton's fault. Additionally, Hamilton suffered a heavy crash during the final practice session, damaging his car, but avoided further penalties since gearbox changes no longer incur grid penalties. Despite these setbacks, Hamilton remains a strong contender, with Ferrari showing competitive pace at the Monaco circuit.