Lewis Hamilton faced a penalty during the Mexico City Grand Prix following a battle with Max Verstappen, after the stewards determined that he had left the track and gained an advantage by cutting across the turn-four grass. Hamilton was handed a 10-second time penalty for the incident, which ultimately removed him from podium contention and saw him finish in eighth place.
The decision sparked debate, especially as the turn-one collision between Hamilton and Verstappen was classified as a racing incident. Despite the controversy, former F1 driver Martin Brundle defended the stewards’ ruling, describing Hamilton’s penalty as justified.
This marked the third time in six races that Hamilton had been sanctioned by race officials. At the Italian Grand Prix, he received a five-place grid penalty for failing to follow the race director’s instructions during his warm-up laps at Zandvoort, where he carried excessive speed while mechanics were still on the grid. Later, in Singapore, Lewis Hamilton was given a five-second time penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits while defending against Fernando Alonso amid worsening brake issues, dropping him from seventh to eighth place.
The pattern has led some former drivers to question Lewis Hamilton’s “clean racer” reputation. David Coulthard has previously described the Ferrari man as an anomaly among F1 greats due to his typically clean driving style, contrasting him with drivers like Max Verstappen or Michael Schumacher, who have often been viewed as more aggressive. However, speaking on the Stay On Track podcast, Damon Hill questioned whether Hamilton still deserves that label, arguing that stewards consistently rule against him.
The former F1 driver suggested that although Lewis Hamilton is widely regarded as a clean driver, he frequently ends up penalised in incidents, claiming that the Briton “always comes off worse in these deals.” The comments came after Hamilton accused Verstappen of forcing him wide over the radio, while the FIA officials judged the situation differently. Hamilton expressed frustration in the media pen after the race, stating that he felt “let down” by the stewards’ decision.
In reality, the Ferrari man currently holds only two penalty points on his FIA superlicence, both from his Dutch Grand Prix infraction. This is fewer than half of the drivers on the grid, highlighting that Hill’s remarks may not fully reflect Hamilton’s record. Before Zandvoort, Hamilton had gone 51 consecutive races without a penalty point, reinforcing his reputation as a disciplined driver.
Some rivals, however, have previously questioned Lewis Hamilton’s adherence to rules. For example, Adrian Newey suggested that Hamilton committed a “deliberate professional foul” on Verstappen at Silverstone in 2021. While the recent run of penalties represents a departure from the norm for the 40-year-old, who is the second-most experienced driver in Formula 1 history, it is unlikely to fundamentally alter his reputation as one of the cleanest and most skilled drivers on the grid.
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