Johannesburg : Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has been slapped with a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Formula One Chinese Grand Prix after his Mercedes’ gearbox had to be changed following the damage in Bahrain.
“This weekend is going to be tough,” Hamilton said on photo sharing site Instagram while sharing a picture of fans welcoming him at the Shanghai airport.
“I will start with a five-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change but because of you guys I feel energised, motivated, and confident that we can regain ground lost.”
This news comes as a huge blow for Hamilton, who was hoping to score his first win of the season and end team-mate Nico Rosberg’s run of five-successive victories, Sport24 reported.
Hamilton trails Rosberg by 17 points in the points table. (ANI)