Lewis Hamilton left Mexico City simmering with frustration on Sunday evening, branding the stewards’ decision to hand him a 10-second penalty for “gaining a lasting advantage” as “pretty nuts” after a feisty wheel-to-wheel tussle with Max Verstappen.
The seven-time world champion had looked set for a podium challenge after starting third, but the sanction pushed him down the order to eighth, leaving both Hamilton and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur fuming over what they called an excessive and inconsistent ruling.
The drama unfolded early in the Mexico Grand Prix when Hamilton locked up into Turn 4 while battling Verstappen, briefly leaving the track and cutting across the grass before rejoining ahead of the Red Bull driver.
Stewards acknowledged that Hamilton had missed the prescribed rejoin route “due to an excess of speed,” but still concluded that he gained an advantage by keeping the position instead of handing it back.
“The standard penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage is therefore imposed,” their statement read.
The result? A 10-second stop-and-go penalty that saw Hamilton plummet from a potential podium contender to a frustrating eighth-place finish.
Hamilton’s Fiery Response
The Ferrari star didn’t hold back when addressing the sanction, saying that it felt like another case of inconsistent officiating.
“I had a great start, and we were braking into Turn 1, I was in Turn 2, I navigated through 1 and 2 and 3, and then didn't go off track… others cut it, and held position, and didn't get penalties. It's pretty nuts," he said.
“It's kind of pretty much the same as all the other people around me, so…”
Still, Hamilton was quick to note that he relished the opening duel with his long-time rival.
“That's… It felt like racing, I was fine there, it was just him cutting, and then I’m the only one to get a 10-second penalty - a 10-second stop and go.”
Explaining the moment in more detail, Hamilton added: “I pinched the front, I went to go down the exit road, but it's like the dustiest place on earth, and then I pinched the other car down, so I ended up back in the grass, but it was the exit road.”
Despite seeing what could have been a strong top-five finish turn into eighth place, Hamilton tried to stay philosophical about the setback.
"I really, really don't know what to expect moving forward, but I'll keep trying,” he said.
“I'll get up tomorrow, train, I'm trying to prepare; I can't let those that aren't necessarily being helpful stop me from moving forward.”
Vasseur Calls Penalty “Very, Very Harsh”
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur didn’t hold back either, calling the penalty “very, very harsh” and “not very well managed.” The Frenchman argued the decision robbed Hamilton – and Ferrari – of a strong finish.
“This cost us P4... One thing is the penalty, for sure, that we didn't follow the race director's notes. But 10 seconds, I don't remember when someone took 10 seconds," Vasseur said.
"If you consider, if you have the global picture, saying that Max cut the corner before, he cut the chicane, in the grass, 100 metres. I think it's not very well managed, honestly.
"Because you are in Mexico, on top of this, I don't say that you have to adapt the penalty to the track, but you have to understand what you are doing. He took the 10 seconds. This dropped us at the queue of the group and we can't overtake.
"It's after the pitstop that you have no issue to recover. This cost us, probably P4, even with the five seconds, I think we were still P4. But with 10 seconds..."
Read also: Russell slams 'lawnmower race' Mexico GP amidst corner cutting
The incident inevitably reignites the ongoing debate about steward consistency in Formula 1 – an issue Hamilton has often highlighted in recent years.
While Verstappen went unpunished for a similar off-track excursion earlier in the race, Hamilton was left carrying the weight of a 10-second sanction that effectively erased his podium hopes.
Still, if there’s one thing the Briton made clear, it’s that he won’t be dwelling on it for long. He’ll be back – just as determined – when the lights go out at the next round.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
