Hamilton still reeling from Mexico penalty – slams lack of ‘clarity’

Lewis Hamilton is still grappling with the fallout from a 10-second time penalty at the Mexico City Grand Prix, insisting that the stewards’ decision-making process lacks transparency and accountability.

The penalty, which cost Hamilton a realistic chance at his first podium of the season, came after he cut across the grass to stay ahead of Max Verstappen.

While the sanction was technically justified, it drew scrutiny given that similar incidents went unpunished.

Hamilton’s penalty stood in stark contrast to the experiences of several other drivers during the chaotic opening laps of the race. Notably, his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc cut the opening sequence of corners on Lap 1 to stay ahead of Hamilton.

Although Leclerc briefly yielded the lead to Lando Norris to avoid a possible penalty, he ultimately retained position ahead of Hamilton without further consequences.

Meanwhile, Verstappen himself cut the same corner on Lap 1 and executed an aggressive divebomb on Hamilton at Turn 1 on Lap 6 – but escaped sanction. It was on this same lap that Hamilton incurred his penalty for a later off-track move, intensifying his frustration.

Transparency and Accountability

Speaking ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton was forthright in his critique of the FIA’s methods.

“There isn’t any clarity and I think that’s probably part of the big issue. Transparency and accountability,” he told reporters.

“And also the secrecy that the decisions are made in the background. I think it’s something that definitely needs to be tackled. That’s probably something that needs to be done in the background, I would imagine.

“I don’t know if they’re aware of the weight of their decisions. Ultimately, decisions can decide the results of championships, as you’ve seen in the past. Some work needs to be done there, I’m sure.”

Hamilton’s remarks underline the growing tension around the application of rules, particularly when multiple drivers commit similar infractions but face different outcomes.

The perceived inconsistency has left the seven-time world champion questioning the stewards’ approach to fairness and accountability.

Russell: ‘Extremely Unfair’

Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate George Russell echoed the Scuderia driver’s concerns, highlighting the perceived injustice that marred Hamilton’s race.

“I was obviously very angry after lap one because I didn’t think what happened was fair at all, for a number of drivers, especially Lewis [for] one,” Russell told the official Formula 1 channel.

“I thought it was extremely unfair what happened in terms of his race.”

With F1 races often decided by fractions of a second, penalties like Hamilton’s can have profound implications – not just on individual race outcomes, but on championship standings.

The growing chorus of voices calling for greater clarity, consistency, and transparency from the FIA suggests that the debate over stewarding could become a central talking point in the remainder of the season.

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