Ferrari: “Lewis Hamilton lost control of the car, but 10 seconds is too much” | F1 Mexican GP. Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur believes Lewis Hamilton’s 10-second penalty in Mexico was too harsh.

Ferrari is back on the podium thanks to Charles Leclerc’s second-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, a result that also allowed the Maranello team to reclaim second place in the Constructors’ Championship. It’s the only realistic target left for the Scuderia in what has been a challenging season.

However, the overall result could have been even better, had it not been for the 10-second penalty imposed on Lewis Hamilton during his battle with Max Verstappen and George Russell as he defended third place. The seven-time world champion went off track after a late-braking move and rejoined the circuit without following the FIA’s re-entry guidelines established at the start of the weekend. The stewards deemed the maneuver non-compliant and handed him a 10-second penalty to serve during his pit stop.

“I think the penalty given to Lewis was too harsh, but there’s not much to discuss because he didn’t manage to keep the car on the proper racing line before rejoining the track. He ended up on the grass. Still, ten seconds is excessive, especially considering he already lost four or five positions because of it. It was a huge punishment for him,” said Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur in his interview with Sky Sport F1.

The team’s race plans were only partially executed. Charles Leclerc completed the race with a single stop as expected, while Hamilton became embroiled in a close fight involving at least four other cars — all of which opted for a two-stop strategy. This forced Hamilton to adjust his approach as well.

“Our plan was to go for a one-stop race with Charles Leclerc, and I think that was the general idea for almost everyone. But at some point, when the drivers ahead began pitting early, everything became more chaotic. I’m talking about the Mercedes cars, Bearman too — but I think nearly all teams initially planned for just one stop,” explained Fred Vasseur.

The start of the Mexican Grand Prix is always one of the trickiest moments of the race, with 800 meters to cover between the grid and Turn 1. Ferrari tried to anticipate several possible scenarios, but as often happens in Mexico, four cars arrived side by side at the first corner — Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, and Norris — which made all pre-race simulations almost useless.

“It’s impossible to predict how the start will unfold until it actually happens, and it’s equally impossible to anticipate every situation. Charles didn’t have his best launch, but it’s difficult to foresee what others will do. Every driver has their own plan, and it’s about taking advantage of whatever opportunities appear. When four cars reach Turn 1 side by side, it becomes an extremely complex moment,” Fred Vasseur added.

The Ferrari boss also took a moment to praise Oliver Bearman. The young Ferrari Academy driver delivered a remarkable performance for Haas, finishing fourth after 71 laps marked by consistency, determination, and defensive precision against both Mercedes drivers and later against the McLaren MCL39 of Oscar Piastri.

“I’m really impressed by Bearman. He did an exceptional job, keeping both Mercedes behind him for more than 20 laps, and he also managed to hold off Piastri. He didn’t make a single mistake. He’s already had great weekends before, but he used to make small errors here and there. This time, however, his performance was flawless from start to finish,” Fred Vasseur concluded.