Hamilton’s controversial moment: a tough Mexican GP
The stewards in Mexico City quickly reviewed the duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the early laps. On lap six, the seven-time world champion defended aggressively against the Red Bull driver, but his cut across the grass did not meet the approval of race control. Attacked by Max, Lewis attempted to defend on the outside of Turn 4, locking up in the process. Although the #44 did not gain positions from the move, the FIA opted for a strict penalty.
A few laps later, the verdict surprised many: Lewis Hamilton received a 10-second penalty. The driver served the penalty a few minutes later during his pit stop, but the decision dealt a significant blow to the Stevenage driver’s fight for a podium finish.
Hamilton shocked by the Mexican penalty: was the FIA too harsh?
On lap 22, Ferrari communicated the penalty over team radio: “They’ve given you a 10-second penalty for the incident in Turn 4 with Max Verstappen. We don’t agree,” explained trackside engineer Riccardo Adami to the #44.
Sir Lewis was incredulous and reacted over the radio: “What a load of s**t! The grip is really low there, there’s almost no traction!”
Another factor added to the frustration: Lewis Hamilton was not the only driver to gain time from a “forbidden” corner cut. He expressed his discontent: “What about the other cars that also gained an advantage?”
A few laps later, the Ferrari driver received the bitter answer: no other drivers would be penalized by the FIA for similar situations.
The feeling remains that the FIA was extremely harsh with the Scuderia Ferrari.
And you? What do you think about about this incident? Was the 10-second penalty for Lewis Hamilton excessive? Let us know with a comment at the end of the article or on our social media channels: Facebook Group / Facebook Page / Instagram / X (former Twitter) and TikTok.
