Hamilton, Perez handed grid penalties

Lewis Hamilton fell foul of the Formula One stewards once again Friday when he was handed a three-place penalty on the starting grid for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix after ignoring yellow warning flags in first practice.

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The McLaren driver had set the fastest lap, in the final seconds, in the first ever session run at the Buddh International circuit.

Sauber's Mexican Sergio Perez was also handed a similar sanction after stewards ruled he had committed the same offence of ignoring double waved yellow flags at turn 16 while a car was being recovered by marshals in close proximity to the track.

The sanction ended Hamilton's hopes of a second successive pole position Saturday after qualifying fastest in the last race in South Korea.

It also boosted Red Bull's chances of setting a Formula One record of 16 poles in a single season. The champions have already chalked up 15.

Hamilton has made regular appearances in front of the stewards this season after a series of crashes and controversies.

One of the four stewards for Sunday's grand prix is Hamilton's fellow-Briton and former racer Johnny Herbert.